Miami Dolphins make their move for John Harbaugh… before firing head coach Mike McDaniel hours later
The Miami Dolphins have reached out to John Harbaugh following his exit from the Baltimore Ravens.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Ravens confirmed they had parted ways with Harbaugh after they failed to reach to the post-season following a dramatic loss to the Steelers.
Harbaugh, had been in charge in Baltimore since 2008 and lead them to victory in the Super Bowl back in 2012, but failed to keep his job after a calamitous end to 2025.
Following his exit, Harbaugh had been expected to be the No 1 target for multiple teams and it seems that Miami are ready to make a move for the recently-fired coach.
According to NFL Insider Josina Anderson, the Dolphins have ‘been in touch’ with Harbaugh as they new search for a replacement for the fired Mike McDaniel.
Fellow NFL Insider Adam Schefter, just one day prior, had also reported that seven NFL teams had reached out to Harbaugh’s representatives after he was fired.
The Miami Dolphins have made their move for John Harbaugh after his Baltimore Ravens exit
The Dolphins reportedly made the approach in the days before they fired Mike McDaniel
That was when there were only six teams with a vacant head coach role, meaning that one team already with a coach had also registered their interest in the 63-year-old.
The six other teams with openings – excluding Baltimore and Miami – are the Giants, Raiders, Titans, Cardinals, Falcons and Browns.
Under McDaniel’s guidance this season, the Dolphins finished third in the AFC East with a 7-10 record, which they recovered after a disastrous 2-7 start.
Their early-season woes saw Miami part ways with general manager Chris Grier at the time. McDaniel, however, kept his role.
Meanwhile, shortly after Baltimore confirmed Harbaugh’s departure, they released a statement on his behalf, which read: ‘Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today.’
He went on to thank ‘the owner and organization’ who brought him in, before hailing his ‘meaningful and impactful relationships with players throughout the years that I will cherish always’.
Only Mike Tomlin – whose Steelers beat the Ravens to the playoffs on Sunday night – is a longer-serving coach than Harbaugh, who left Baltimore with a 180-113 record.
Under McDaniel this season, the Dolphins finished third in the AFC East with a 7-10 record
Harbaugh’s tenure at Baltimore came to an end after they failed to reach the playoffs this year
It could all have been extremely different for Harbaugh and the Ravens had kicker Tyler Loop made his last-second field goal against the Steelers on Sunday night.
Baltimore was two points down in the shootout against Pittsburgh, with a win taking them into the Wild Card round of the playoffs, but the rookie inexplicably missed and sealed his team’s fate.
It is the first time since 2021 that Baltimore has missed the playoffs, and only the second time since 2017.
Harbaugh left the team with one Super Bowl ring – beating his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 season – and is the best coach in franchise history.
