Why Anthony Campanile Should Be Wary of Dolphins Job

It appears as though the Miami Dolphins are going in another direction with their head coaching search, but Anthony Campanile is probably dodging a bullet.

Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile answers questions about a scuffle during practice between players after the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars' coaching staff earned a lot of attention after the 2025 NFL season. Most of the praise for their incredible turnaround has gone to Head Coach Liam Coen, but tons of teams are looking for their own wunderkind to drag them out of the mud and mediocrity now. Naturally, poaching one of his understudies would be the reflexive solution.

The Jaguars and their fans are highly concerned with the possibility of Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski leaving, as he just landed a second interview with the Cleveland Browns for their head-coach opening. However, DC Anthony Campanile just met with the Miami Dolphins, too, who were already impressed with him enough to hire him as their linebackers coach back in 2020.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile hugs safety Andrew Wingard (42) before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Anthony Campanile will get better opportunities

The good news for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their fans is that the Miami Dolphins seem to have a frontrunner for their head-coaching job, and it's not Anthony Campanile. Instead, Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley is leading the charge. All reports are that it's his job to lose. The Jags will find out soon whether Campanile did enough to land a second interview. If not, they won't have to worry about replacing Camp, at least for the time being.

It's probably also good news for Campanile himself. Landing a promotion to NFL head coach is clearly the goal for Camp, one that the Jaguars, their fans, and Head Coach Liam Coen wouldn't want to stand in the way of. However, not all opportunities are built the same, and the Dolphins' job might not be the best spot for Jacksonville's current DC.

In case y’all forgot the kind of intensity Anthony Campanile brings, I present to you this clip from Hard Knocks with the Dolphins in 2023.pic.twitter.com/UffQT2CfC0 https://t.co/RDzgRR3H3X

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) January 14, 2026

Miami is stuck in a sticky situation. The team is coming off a 7-10 season in which they benched starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who's under contract for the next three seasons and will cost the Dolphins over $175 million in cap space during that span. They do have a potential out, but it's not until after 2026 and would incur a dead cap hit of $34.8 million for the 2027 season.

Overall, Miami will be deep in the red on its books this offseason, with several other large contracts weighted against them, including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins know they're headed for a rebuild, but that didn't matter when they fired Mike McDaniel, who showed enough to be a leading head-coaching candidate for other teams around the league. Camp landing the Miami job could very well damage his reputation and ruin his prospects in the NFL.

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