NFL insider links a familiar face to the Dolphins’ potential coaching vacancy in case Mike McDaniel’s midseason surge stalls out

A familiar face could have some support to rejoin the Dolphins if Mike McDaniel doesn’t keep his job this offseason.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Dec 10, 2025 2:18 PM EST

The Miami Dolphins may have worked their way back to within a game of .500 on the season, but they’re not out of the woods yet. Miami’s final four games this season feature road trips to Pittsburgh and New England to go along with home contests against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Three of these four teams are, currently, in first place of their respective divisions. Rubber is about to meet the road.

And if the Dolphins falter down the stretch, it could open the door for a lot of that midseason talk to continue to bubble back to the surface pertaining head coach Mike McDaniel. The chatter around McDaniel’s job security has cooled as Miami has reeled off four straight wins and five of six. But with a lifeless finish it could all be for not. If that’s the reality we get, one NFL insider has offered us a clue as for a name to watch as an alternative.

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler ties Broncos DC Vance Joseph to Miami as a possible head coach candidate

“Former head coaches will be a theme this year, and (Broncos DC Vance) Joseph has head coaching experience. Much will depend on exactly what teams are looking for and the interview process, but he should get plenty of chances. If Miami opens, remember that Joseph was a finalist for the Dolphins job that went to Mike McDaniel in 2022 and is still well-regarded there.” — NFL insider Jeremy Fowler

Joseph, of course, enjoyed a stint in Miami back in 2016, when he served as the defensive coordinator for then head coach Adam Gase’s team that went 10-6 and earned a Wild Card berth. After his one year in Miami, Joseph was hired to be the head coach in Denver with the Denver Broncos, where he lasted two seasons before being dismissed. He posted a 11-21 record in two seasons as the head coach in Denver.

Not everything about a coach can be gleaned from their record, but Joseph’s first stint certainly was not inspiring in the win column. It would seem, now that the vast majority of common threads between the Dolphins organization in 2016 and now have been cut, the list of meaningful candidates who could remain and still hold Joseph in high regard is fairly short. The most notable candidates would include team owner Stephen Ross, CEO Tom Garfinkel (with Miami since 2013), and Senior VP of football & business administration Brandon Short (was Miami’s senior director of football administration in 2016).

This intel could be a whole bunch of nothing if McDaniel and the Dolphins keep winning. The sales pitch for McDaniel feels easier if he can reach the end of the season and point to the record as having not regressed. That would require Miami to go 2-2 over the final four games to bring that vision to life. 3-1 or better? McDaniel can simply say “we got better this year despite the hardship” and have a strong case to keep his job. But 1-3 or 0-4? All bets are off.

Starting a full hiring process with the end in mind is a bit backwards and the Dolphins would be wise to avoid falling into such a trap. But it does bear noting that Joseph appears to have his fair share of supporters remaining in Miami — despite having not been back to town in a decade with the exception of an interview for the head coaching vacancy in 2022.

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