John Harbaugh to the Dolphins Feels like a Pipe Dream at this Point
There seems to be a large contingent of Miami Dolphins fans who want to see John Harbaugh succeed Mike McDaniel as the team’s next head coach, and it’s easy to see why. Harbaugh is a lot of what McDaniel isn’t — namely, a defensive-minded coach and Super Bowl champion. The last time Miami had a Super Bowl-winning head coach patrol the sidelines was back in the 1999 campaign, when Jimmy Johnson headed its staff.
But as appealing as Harbaugh on the Dolphins would be, all signs seem to be pointing to the notion that such an acquisition for Miami is little more than a pipe dream at this juncture. After all, SNY’s Connor Hughes has reported that there is a belief among various other coaching candidates that the Harbaugh sweepstakes is down to the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, and that he will ultimately land with one of those squads. The Falcons capped off the 2025 season on a four-game winning streak and finished barely below the .500 mark at 8-9, while the Giants finished dead last in the NFC East with merely four wins.
https://twitter.com/SNYGiants/status/2010718463585669333
Whichever team ultimately lands Harbaugh will be bringing on one of the winningest head coaches in the lengthy history of the NFL. He has 180 wins in total to his name, and only 14 other people to ever hold the head coaching reins at the highest level have more. Harbaugh has more career victories as a coach than some esteemed coaches such as Bill Parcells, Mike Shanahan, and Pete Carroll, just to name a few.
It’s probably for the best that any fans hoping Harbaugh chooses the Dolphins mentally prepare for the high likelihood that he doesn’t, but Miami could still end up hiring an excellent candidate. Here’s hoping they hire someone who the lion’s share of fans will be pleased about.
