Setting the Stage for Dolphins Head Coach Search Week

The Miami Dolphins entered the week with a half-dozen identified head coach candidates

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field in December 2025. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins conducted their first interview for their head coach opening over the weekend, and there will be more to come this week.

However, there are restrictions that will keep them from contacting some of their target candidates for a bit longer.

Let's start with the list of candidates, which includes former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Stefanski and Harbaugh have no restrictions on when they can be interviewed because they're no longer employed by another team, and the only question here is whether Harbaugh will accept the offer to interview with Miami.

According to reporting over the weekend, Harbaugh is considering the idea of interviewing with only three or four of the teams that have reached out, as well as having representatives of his preferred teams come to him instead of him traveling to different cities — yes, he has that kind of leverage.

The question here is whether the Dolphins will make the cut, and this is where we offer CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones report this weekend that included the following paragraph: "Two sources on interested teams said their belief is Harbaugh's top choices among the vacant jobs are the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons in some order. Those sources added the Tennessee Titans are in third place, while a third, different source said there is real and mutual interest between Harbaugh and the Cleveland Browns."

Because Seattle earned the bye in the NFC playoffs, the Dolphins had the opportunity this weekend to interview Kubiak, the son of former Houston Texans and Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak and part of the Mike Shanahan tree, and they did that Saturday.

We have completed an interview with Klint Kubiak for our head coach position. pic.twitter.com/vVClzeMPwO

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 10, 2026

The Dolphins can interview Hafley on Thursday of this week after his Packers were eliminated with their 31-27 loss against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night.

In-person interviews with Saleh and Shula will have to wait until the latter part of next week because the 49ers and Rams are in the divisional playoffs, and the wait will be longer if either team makes it to the NFC Championship Game.

For coaches on Super Bowl teams, there can be interviews during the bye week and then after the season ends.

WHAT THE TIMELINE MIGHT LOOK LIKE

The Dolphins also will have to conduct at least two interviews with external minority candidates, either women or non-white, to satisfy the Rooney Rule. Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, would count toward fulfilling that requirement.

Because of the ongoing playoffs and what we can only expect is a desire from the Dolphins to get it right, we probably shouldn't be looking for too quick a resolution — particularly if based on recent team history.

With both of their past two coaching hires, Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel, the decisions didn't become official until February, after Flores helped the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl of the 2018 season and after McDaniel helped the San Francisco 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game in the 2021 season.