Dolphins fans have been obsessed with the Shula name for quite some time.. I will say tho i liked Mike Shula’s offense with Cam Newton in Carolina and thought he should have been given an interview
I've heard him mentioned as a HC candidate for several years now (probably here). I've never taken a look at him so I can't provide any additional detail, LOL.
No more coordinators. Every coordinator we’ve hired has reverted back to what he was…a play caller. We have GOT to have an adult in the room. A HEAD COACH who has a staff of coordinators, not a head coach who calls the offensive plays…not a head coach who calls the defensive plays. If Ross can’t land Harbaugh and gives yet ANOTHER coordinator his first shot at being a head coach, we’re FOOKED yet again.
I wouldn't force the issue. Andy Reid calls plays. Sean Payton calls plays. Kyle Shanahan calls plays. Sean McVay calls plays. Mike McDonald calls plays.
Andy Reid is established. 4 straight NFC championship game and 1 Super Bowl appearance in Philadelphia…even before his Super Bowl runs in Kansas City. Sean Peyton is established. Super Bowl champion in New Orleans…before Denver. Kyle Shannahan is established. Super Bowl with the Falcons as OC and 2 Super Bowl appearances with San Francisco. Sean McVay is established, 2 Super Bowl appearances with one championship. See where I’m going? When you’re established, you can call the plays. When you’re a first year head coach, you need to be the head coach and that’s not what has happened in Miami.
They were calling plays from day 1 though. I'm just not going to force an unneeded variable that limits our pool of candidates. The good coach will win through regardless.
IIRC he's under contract through next year. Seems like the Steelers might give him one last shot and just let the contract expire vs firing him. They are big on the "we've never fired a coach here" thing. But man, that game was horrendous.
The Dolphins have requested to interview Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for their vacant head coaching job, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. It is Sheppard’s first head coaching interview. He became the Lions’ defensive coordinator a year ago — his first time as a coordinator — when Aaron Glenn left to become the Jets’ head coach. Sheppard was the Lions’ outside linebackers coach (2021) and linebackers coach (2022-24) before becoming the team’s coordinator. The Dolphins have completed interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and have requested to interview Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
I mean, I guess I don't mind giving an interview ... but there is serious and warranted discussion about whether Detroit should replace him as defensive coordinator. Spoiler, they absolutely should. He's definitely got some Campbell vibes as like a tough, rah rah type guy, but he absolutely has nowhere near the experience or expertise needed to be a head coach at this time. I'd be reticent to hire him as a DC let alone a HC spot.
Adam Schefter Breaking: After a historic 19-season run in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin just informed his team that he is stepping down as the Steelers head coach, sources tell @JFowlerESPN and me. The Steelers now will be looking for only their fourth head coach since 1969. Hip hop Mike Tomlin is available
After 19 years, Tomlin is moving on. The expectation, we’re told, is that he’ll step away from coaching for at least a year. It’s been believed that he has an offer in hand with a network. The current prevailing sentiment is he’ll land at Fox. (Every network will surely want him.) It’s also possible, in theory, that a team with an opening will try to make him an offer he won’t refuse, while also coming to an agreement with the Steelers on compensation. Regardless, after nearly two decades in Pittsburgh, Tomlin will be moving on from the Steelers.
Let's see who Pittsburgh picks as their new coach. They have by far the best record with HCs in the last 50+ years: only 3 HCs, Noll, Cowher and Tomlin, all of whom won a SB. I hope they finally start to get into the HC carousel most other teams experience.
A tough situation. No QB, glaring talent gaps, aging roster, not a good draft position. This is a team that may look to do a bottom out reset. Feels like maybe they presented that plan to Tomlin who opted out.
With all these coaches out here and somehow we end up with Jeff Hafley, I dont think I can take it anymore.
Apparently we are also interviewing Patrick Graham. Based oh him, Shepherd and Hafley I'd probably take the latter. It's college, but he at least has HC experience to a degree. I do find the amount of defensive interviews interesting. It's definitely not my preferred avenue, but oh well.
LaFleur is my number one choice right now if they can't get an extension done in Green Bay. If they go defense, right now I'm kind of on the Bob Salah train.
I just did a deep dive on Pittsburgh and the reason for their success for 55 years and only having 3 head coaches in that time frame. First, all 3 were defensive coordinators: Noll; DC Baltimore Colts (under Shula) Cowher; DC Kansas City Chiefs Tomlin; DC Minnesota Vikings. Why this is significant? A defensive coach doesn’t rely on a quarterback to win and is able to adapt. Bradshaw, Malone, Stewart, Roethlisburger, Rudolph, Trubitsky, Pickett, Fields. Yes, Bradshaw and Roethlisburger but all of the others? Functional but not the center piece of the Steelers success. Rooney valued leadership and culture over trends. Noll, Cowher and Tomlin set a culture and identity for the Steelers of being a hard nosed team that play hard. Rooney never chased a trend of the hot coordinator, focusing rather on strong leadership, communication and player development. Who will the Rooney family select as their next head coach? A dime to a dollar says it will be someone of a defensive background who is a strong leader and not necessarily a hot commodity.
If you do the research, you’ll find that head coaches with offensive backgrounds peak quicker but don’t have as long of a tenure. As the quarterback goes, so does the head coach. Defensive head coaches don’t rely on elite quarterback play and are more able to adapt. They tend to have longer tenure and overall greater success. The greatest example of this was Don Shula.
The Dolphins would like to speak to one of Mike McDaniel’s former assistants as they look for someone to replace McDaniel as their head coach. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the team requested an interview with Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. It’s the first time Campanile’s name has come up in conjunction with a current head coaching vacancy. Campanile was the Dolphins’ linebackers coach from 2020-2023, so he was on the staff when the team advanced to the playoffs in McDaniel’s first two seasons in Miami. Campanile left the Dolphins to be the linebackers coach and run game coordinator for the Packers — new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan was in Green Bay at the same time — and then jumped to Jacksonville for the 2025 season. The Jags were eighth in points allowed and 11th in yards allowed while winning the AFC South.
The Dolphins have requested to interview Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their head coaching job, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports. Graham was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2019. The Commanders plan to interview Graham for their defensive coordinator job. Graham joined the Raiders as a member of Josh McDaniels’ staff in 2022, and he remained with the team through the changes to Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. The Raiders fired Carroll last week. Graham served as the defensive coordinator for the Giants in 2020-21. He spent seven seasons in various roles with the Patriots and has also worked as an assistant with the Packers. The Dolphins have also requested Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Since 2020 Super Bowl Coaches: Reid vs Shanahan 2 O background coaches Arians vs Reid 2 O background coaches McVay vs Taylor 2 O background coaches Reid vs Sirianni 2 O background coaches Ried vs Shanahan 2 O background coaches Sirianni vs Ried 2 O background coaches The last head coach with a D background that made a Super Bowl was the Cheater and besides him was Dan Quin in 2017. The game and the rules have shifted.
Adam Schefter The Pittsburgh Steelers first known head coach interview requests are for Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, per sources.
Can we please NOT interview the golden child co-ordinator with one (1) season as OC or DC on their resume please. I am all for hiring the new guy, but can we at least see if they can get some continual improvement happening. Let's see if the league works out their scheme in year 2. Please let the Bengals, Jets or Cards roll the dice on the one season co-ordinators.
They are also bringing in Jesse Minter, Brian Flores and Anthony Weaver as well. Chris Shula is also interviewing with the Browns, while Miami had an interview with Kevin Stefanski today and have requested an interview with Bills OC Joe Brady. Mike McDaniel has met with the Lions, Eagles and Bucs about their OC vacancies while he goes through the HC circuit.
There’s no way we’re getting Harbaugh, so knowing that, my choices at this point would be Kubiak, McCarthy, Stefanski.
Its just a season.. but Harbaugh wants a situation where he can win now.. and the NFC East is looking wide open especially with a pending roster overhaul coming for the Eagles. The giants have some core players that he can definitely win with already. meanwhile our roster is very shakey, will need a couple drafts and free agencies to rebuild.. i doubt hes interested in a total rebuild situation. falcons and giants are his best options
Adam Schefter John Harbaugh and the Giants are working to finalize an agreement to make him New York’s next head coach and, barring a setback, a deal is expected, multiple sources tell ESPN. The deal is not final and contract numbers still are being negotiated. “There still is a lot to work through,” one source said. But barring any setbacks, Harbaugh is ready to accept the Giants’ deal and the Giants are expected to hire him as soon as possible, per sources. Ross misses again on another Harbaugh, never managed to get even an interview.
There's something weird with Harbaugh though. He put together some really good teams, both on offense and defense, for the better part of the last decade. Yet his teams consistently fail in the playoffs, and usually quite early in the playoffs. At some point one has to wonder if there's something different from the early days in Baltimore where he didn't have as good a team offensively but had far more playoff success. Harbaugh was my first choice too, but he's not flawless. His lack of playoff success can't be overlooked.
Maybe Flacco is the answer? Flacco was a very streaky QB like Eli Manning who could put a string of 3 or 4 exceptional games together. In the SB run of 2012 Flacco played like the illegitimate love child of Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw
Yeah, and more generally, Harbaugh might be too dependent on the QB to build a good offense. He's always had good defenses, but it seems like the QB, not Harbaugh, is more predictive of how good his offenses are. Flacco-led offenses in the regular season varied between slightly above average to slightly below average, nothing special. But in that one postseason he got streaky like you said and they won the SB. Conversely, once he had Lamar his offenses started to perform way better on average and multiple times elite during the regular season, but Lamar was a terrible playoff QB until just recently, which helps explain many losses. Even last year where he finally had 2 good playoff games, he still had a crucial INT and fumble when Allen had none in the Divisional Playoff game, leading to a loss. So if Harbaugh is that dependent on the QB, you have to wonder how good a HC he would be without a great QB. Basically you'd be hoping for another repeat of that magical Flacco postseason.
