Four head coaching candidates the Dolphins could tap into if they hire Jon-Eric Sullivan as the GM
Who could Jon-Eric Sullivan bring the Dolphins as current head coaching candidates with his Green Bay connections?
The ‘status quo’ in Miami is indeed not good enough. The Miami Dolphins decided to shake things up and embrace a full-reset of their football operation entering 2026 after several days of deliberation over the fate of former head coach Mike McDaniel. The news dropped this morning that McDaniel is out and a general manager decision seems to be on our doorstep. With that decision, Miami has several accomplished candidates to choose from — and a subsequent coaching search that will fire off shortly after.
Each general manager candidate offers different connections in coaching. Miami, reportedly, asked their candidates about alternative options at head coach during the first round of interviews. It’s worth knowing the connections for each. Should Miami offer the general manager position to Green Bay’s Jon-Eric Sullivan, who are the head coach connections he could bring to the table?
Four coaching connections Green Bay’s Jon-Eric Sullivan could offer the Dolphins as a general manager
Current Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
Hafley is the former head coach at Boston College who left for the pros as the NIL culture started to seep through the college landscape. He is a highly regarded defensive mind who cut his teeth as a secondary coach in the NFL throughout the 2010s. He had time in Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and San Francisco before dipping to the college ranks.
Hafley was a star hire for the Packers in 2024 and has leadership experience to go with his prowess as a defensive play caller.
Current Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile
A familiar face! Dolphins fans should recognize Campanile from his time as the linebackers coach in Miami. Like Hafley, Campanile has college coaching on his resume — he came to the Dolphins from a year at Michigan as a linebackers coach. Campanile coached in Miami from 2020-2023 before leaving for the same role in Green Bay after getting passed up for the defensive coordinator position.
Campanile got hired in Jacksonville to run their defense in 2025 and helped fuel a rabid, turnover prosperous defense for the Jaguars this season. His ‘Hard Knocks’ clip with the Dolphins in 2023 is a great peek into the intensity he carries himself with.
Former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy
McCarthy coached 13 years in Green Bay and posted a record of 125-77-2, winning a Super Bowl in 2010. He has since taken on a 5-year head coaching stint in Dallas and won 49 games in five years before a sabbatical year in 2025. McCarthy isn’t quite John Harbaugh, but he’s got 6 less wins and the same number of Super Bowl trophies as the hottest name on the market — while coaching the same amount of seasons in the NFL.
Current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur?!
HUH?! Really? Consider this option a long shot but until LaFleur’s contract situation in Green Bay is considered resolved, you can’t close the door on something crazy. LaFleur is in a contract year in 2026. A to Z Sports’ Wendell Ferreira recently outlined the situation:
“It’s hard to justify any type of extension for LaFleur below the $15 million mark, and that’s just the reality of the market. If they want a cheaper contract, they would have to go to a cheaper head coach.
Independent cap analyst Ken Ingalls brought up that Matt LaFleur’s performance in his first contract was factually better that what he got in his second deal. While there are obvious caveats to that based on the roster-building timeline, the Packers could use that to limit his price range.
But if other teams are willing to pay him much more, it’s a harder fight. If the Packers refuse to pay LaFleur what the market says he’s worth, the options would be allowing him to coach in a contract year or trading him to another NFL team and look for a new head coach.”
— A to Z Sports Green Bay’s Wendell Feirreira
If the Packers go down this weekend in Chicago, this could be a “big brained” idea that won’t go away until Miami settles on another candidate or otherwise secures a new deal.
Miami Dolphins News
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has finally made his decision on the fate of head coach Mike McDaniel
Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
