John Harbaugh isn’t Chad Alexander’s only head coaching connection the Dolphins could opt for if he’s hired as Miami’s new GM
What other coaching connections does Chad Alexander bring to the table if he’s hired by the Dolphins?
The late arrival to the Miami Dolphins‘ general manager post, Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander, was given a fast-track to round two of interviews. In a hiring process that appears to be filling fast, Alexander should be considered a legitimate contender. He has a strong resume, offers the skill set that matches what the Dolphins have been reported to be looking for, and has some strong coaching connections for Miami’s new head coach vacancy.
Those connections may not be needed if Miami were to successfully court John Harbaugh. But if the Dolphins need alternatives, Alexander still has them.
Four head coaching candidates the Dolphins could pursue if they hire Chad Alexander as their new GM
Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
The other Harbaugh, Jim, currently employs Minter on his coaching staff and works with Alexander for the Chargers. Minter comes with a strong defensive reputation and also has spent time at Stephen Ross’ alma mater, Michigan. Minter worked in Baltimore for the Ravens in 2017 and 2018 alongside Alexander and then the pair were reunited with the Chargers in 2024.
Minter served as the Wolverines defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, helping fuel the national championship run we saw from Michigan before following Jim Harbaugh back to the pros.
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh
All is fair in love and football. Saleh is off the same coaching tree that former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel comes off of under Kyle Shanahan. But Chad Alexander has overlap with Saleh due to several seasons together in New York with the Jets. Alexander joined the Jets in 2019 as the team’s Director of Player Personnel and held that post until 2024, meaning he held a scouting post for the entirety of Robert Saleh’s tenure as the head coach with the Jets.
Saleh is widely regarded as one of the best (young) retread options on the market this offseason.
Former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
No surprises here. Alexander’s 20 years in Baltimore (1999 to 2018) overlapped with 10 years of scouting for John Harbaugh coached football teams. Harbaugh is widely speculated to be a coach candidate that the Dolphins are going to go after. It seems as though Miami will be making their general manager decision before this manifests itself — but the Harbaugh resume is undeniable relative to the Dolphins’ recent track record. Hiring Alexander would help their chances.
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak*
This one comes on a technicality. Kubiak is one of the buzziest names of this cycle as the latest offensive scheme whiz and that’s been an archetype that the Dolphins have gone after under Stephen Ross plenty of times before. But there’s a catch — the Kubiak connection to Alexander comes with two degrees of separation. There’s no direct overlap here. But Kubiak runs the offense for Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, who worked in Baltimore and overlapped with Alexander in the program from 2014-2018.
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