The Miami Dolphins shocked the NFL world on Monday by parting ways with head coach Brian Flores.

Miami was seemingly heading in the right direction under Flores.

The Dolphins lost seven games in a row after winning their season-opener against the New England Patriots.

Flores, however, managed to right the ship and led the Dolphins to a seven-game winning streak. Miami finished 9-8 in Flores' third season leading the franchise.

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported on Monday that Flores was fired due to his poor relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and general manager Chris Grier.

Whatever the reason, it doesn't change that Miami needs a new head coach.

Here are five names that I think could be considered by Miami.

Byron Leftwich — Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC

Leftwich, a former NFL quarterback, has done a tremendous job as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. Leftwich started his career as the Arizona Cardinals' quarterbacks coach in 2017. He was the Cardinals' interim offensive coordinator in 2018, before joining Bruce Arians' staff in Tampa Bay in 2019. Leftwich has complete control over the Bucs' offense.

Jerod Mayo — New England Patriots Inside linebackers

It's unlikely that Miami would fire Flores and then go right back to the Bill Belichick coaching tree. Mayo, however, is a future star in this business. And he should be considered for this job. Mayo has been praised as a great leader and someone that is expected to land a head coaching job in the not-so-distant future. This would feel a lot like the Tennessee Titans' hiring Mike Vrabel in early 2018.

Joe Brady — Former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator

Some of the shine has worn off Brady after he was fired by the Carolina Panthers recently. But that move probably had more to do with the Panthers and the ineptitude of head coach Matt Rhule than it did with Brady. It just wasn't a good match. Brady received head coaching interviews a year ago. He likely will this offseason, too. Let's not forget that Brady was the architect of LSU's ridiculous offense in 2019. Also, Brady is a Miami native.

Kellen Moore — Dallas Cowboys OC

Moore is another former quarterback who has built a reputation as a great young offensive coordinator. If the choice comes down to Leftwich, Brady, and Moore, just flip a coin. They're all a gamble, with similar upside. It wouldn't surprise me to see Moore land a head coaching job this offseason — especially if Dallas goes deep in the playoffs.

Eric Bieniemy — Kansas City Chiefs OC

It's shocking at this point that Bieniemy hasn't received a head coaching job. He's obviously done a great job as the Chief's offensive coordinator (a role he's served in since 2018), but no one has pulled the trigger yet. Once again this offseason, Bieniemy is going to be mentioned for jobs. We'll see if this is the offseason that someone finally takes a chance on him.

Note: 

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was a rumored candidate even before Flores was fired. But Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a Michigan grad, on Monday shot down any possibility of Harbaugh taking over for Flores.

"I love Jim Harbaugh and he's at the University of Michigan," Dolphins owner Steve Ross, a Michigan alum. "I'm not going to be the person who takes Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan. I hope he stays there. He is a great head coach."

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) January 10, 2022

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