Flashback to the Last Dolphins Coaching Search ... And the Insight It Could Provide

The Miami Dolphins had to wait until February to hire Brian Flores as head coach in 2019 and we might be looking at a repeat

As the Miami Dolphins continue to very quietly conduct their search for a new head coach, it's a good time to look back at their last search from a few different aspects to see if we can get some insight.

Reports have indicated the Dolphins met with Bills offensive and defensive coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier on Sunday in Buffalo and they will interview 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel via Zoom on Wednesday.

THE 2019 DOLPHINS COACHING SEARCH

Before they hired Brian Flores in 2019, the Dolphins announced completed interviews for coaching candidates, and our research found five such interviews — with Flores, Eric Bieniemy, Kris Richard and two members of Adam Gase's 2018 staff, Darren Rizzi and Dowell Loggains.

It's also pretty interesting to check out two sets of betting odds from different bookmakers, one on Jan. 4, 2019 and the other Jan. 8.

-- The first list (from Bookmaker.eu) included nine candidates, with Josh McDaniels at a plus-450 favorite, followed by Dan Campbell and Mike Munchak at plus-800. On that list, Flores was tied for seventh favorite at plus-1500.

The entire list was:

Josh McDaniels +450

Dan Campbell +800

Mike Munchak +800

Mike McCarthy +900

Eric Bieniemy +1200

Kris Richard +1200

Darren Rizzi +1500

Brian Flores +1500

Vic Fangio +2000

Field +120

-- On the second list Jan. 8, from BetDSI, John Harbaugh was the favorite at plus-250, and Flores was tied for sixth at plus-1000.

The entire list:

John Harbaugh +250

Kris Richard +300

Darren Rizzi +350

Jim Harbaugh +400

Dennis Allen +700

Eric Bieniemy +1000

Brian Flores +1000

The four names on both lists were Flores, Rizzi, Richard and Bieniemy.

These were the odds for the current Dolphins search from BetOnline.ag, as of Jan. 11.

Brian Daboll 3/1

Doug Pederson  5/1

Eric Bieniemy 5/1

Kellen Moore  13/2

Byron Leftwich  7/1

Nathaniel Hackett 7/1

Todd Bowles 7/1

Joe Brady 10/1

Kevin O'Connell 10/1

DeMeco Ryans 12/1

Jim Harbaugh 12/1

 Jerod Mayo 14/1

 Mike McDaniel 14/1

Based on the 2019 precedent and the list of identified candidates, should we be seriously pondering the possibility of McDaniel being the choice?

PREVIOUS DATES OF DOLPHINS COACHING ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Dolphins ended up hiring Flores, but couldn't do it officially until Feb. 4 because Flores was in the middle of a successful Super Bowl run with the New England Patriots.

It's a situation that certainly could happen again this time around because the seven candidates identified as being on the receiving end of an interview request include four who are still involved in the playoffs — Mike McDaniel, Thomas Brown, Daboll and Frazier.

If it's not a coach currently on a team that goes to the Super Bowl, here are the previous hiring dates for Dolphins head coaches as a point of reference:

-- George Wilson, hired Jan. 29, 1966

-- Don Shula, hired Feb. 18, 1970

-- Jimmy Johnson, hired Jan. 11, 1996

-- Dave Wannstedt, hired Jan. 16, 2000

-- Nick Saban, hired Dec. 27, 2005

-- Cam Cameron, hired Jan. 19, 2007

-- Tony Sparano, hired Jan. 16, 2008

-- Joe Philbin, hired Jan. 20, 2012

-- Adam Gase, hired Jan. 9, 2016