Mike McDaniel replacements: 5 best candidates if Dolphins fire HC after embarrassing loss to Ravens ft. Jon Gruden

The Miami Dolphins are nearing a breaking point in the 2025 season. They have an impotent offense that is already missing its most important weapon, as well as a porous defense that allows opposing touchdowns as though it were butter being sliced by a heated knife.

Thursday's 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens has only compounded their situation. Tua Tagovailoa, already known for being a very shaky quarterback who alternates between multi-TD masterpieces and multi-TO disasters, struggled, failing to find the end zone twice and throwing what would prove to be the decisive interception.

All that has combined to put head coach Mike McDaniel in a precarious situation. There is a chance that he is ousted as early as tomorrow, but should the franchise defer the decision until the end of the season, here are five people whom owner Stephen Ross may call upon.

5 potential Mike McDaniel replacements as Dolphins head coach

5) Jon Gruden

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Jon Gruden had not officially coached in the NFL since the Las Vegas Raiders ousted him in 2021 after controversial emails he made were leaked. However, he has intermittently been seen observing other teams' camps. The Dolphins may not be one of those, but that has not stopped him from being linked to them.

His inactivity makes his chances of accepting the job low, but he has an "old-school" mentality that the team may need after a few years of failed flashiness.

4) Jim Bob Cooter

Chicago Bears v Indianapolis Colts - Source: Getty

Jim Bob Cooter was brought in by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 to facilitate Anthony Richardson's development as a quarterback. It is safe to say that the experiment has not fared well, but something magical is happening in 2025.

The team is the AFC's best behind Daniel Jones, whom many thought was done for as a starter after his stint with the New York Giants ended in his release in the middle of the 2024 season. And Cooter has been instrumental in that renaissance. Perhaps a similar change in coaching might salvage Tua Tagovailoa's career...

3) Mike LaFleur

NFL: AUG 03 Los Angeles Rams Training Camp - Source: Getty

As the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, Mike LaFleur has overseen a complete transition.

From the worst Super Bowl hangover in history to consecutive 10-7 records and playoff appearances, he has been instrumental in revitalizing Matthew Stafford's productivity, especially with Puka Nacua joining the team in the same year as him and having a monstrous rookie breakout.

His creativity in the air may benefit a Dolphins offense that has largely been built around speed and dominating the aerial battle.

2) Greg Roman

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On the other hand, Stephen Ross may opt for a complete change in identity.

Greg Roman has been mainly a Harbaugh associate in the NFL, having been Jim's offensive coordinator at San Francisco and the Los Angeles Chargers and John's at Baltimore. All those stints have been marked by one thing: run-heavy offenses that feature a powerful back.

Luckily, he will have three key pieces for that: speedsters De'Von Achane and Jaylen Wright and bruiser Ollie Gordon II. If he can get the offensive line fixed, the franchise may see a return to the days of Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick.

1) Vance Joseph

Cincinnati Bengals v Denver Broncos - NFL 2025 - Source: Getty

And speaking of change in identity, this is the "nuclear option".

There have been rumors that Mike McDaniel has been struggling to contain the locker, with reports of players missing team meetings. It is as if the team has become the football version of Sodom - too deeply trapped in vice to progress.

Enter Vance Joseph. As a defensive coach, he brings a "no BS" attitude that the team badly needs after years of debauchery - and that is not to mention his coaching acumen that has most recently turned the Denver Broncos into a defensive powerhouse that boasts the likes of Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Pat Surtain II.

Edited by Andre Castillo