Dolphins Coaching Search: Is McDaniel a Foregone Conclusion?

The Miami Dolphins are scheduled to interview Kellen Moore on Saturday, but news out of San Francisco suggests a decision already might have been made

Between scheduled interviews with Mike McDaniel and Kellen Moore this weekend for the Miami Dolphins head coach opening came news out of San Francisco that certainly would seem to indicate a decision has been made.

And maybe there's a bit of irony that it involved Anthony Lynn because six years ago he was one of those coaches who interviewed for the Dolphins for an opening that ultimately went to Adam Gase.

Now, Lynn has been hired as assistant head coach by the 49ers, and because his background is that of a running backs coach before he became a head coach and later offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions in 2021, it's difficult not to connect the dots.

And those dots would lead to Lynn taking over coordination of the 49ers running game and the move was made in anticipation of McDaniel getting the job in Miami, as suggested by Publisher Grant Cohn of SI Fan Nation sister site All 49ers.

While the Dolphins have not made public any interviews with candidates during this coaching search, unlike how they proceeded in 2016 and 2019, multiple reports indicated McDaniel interviewed with team officials Friday and Moore was scheduled to follow Saturday.

With no other candidate identified via reports, the coaching search likely is heading into the final days, if not hours.

Barring an unforeseen delay, the Dolphins will hire their new head coach at the second-latest date in a calendar year in franchise history. The latest date for a prior hire: Feb. 18. It happened in 1970 when the new coach was Don Shula.

The only other Dolphins head coach hired past January was Brian Flores, who was hired Feb. 4, 2019.