Updated 1/8/16 at 4:57 pm EST
The Miami Dolphins officially fired head coach Joe Philbin back on October 5th, promoting tight ends coach Dan Campbell to serve as the team's interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Campbell turned things around earlier, but the Dolphins fell off en route to a 6-10 overall record.
Where does Campbell stand right now when it comes to his 2016 chances? Who else could take over the job if the organization decides to go another way? Here's our best guess for the 10 top candidates to replace Philbin going forward:
10. Dan Campbell, Dolphins interim head coach
Campbell has reignited the fire that was lacking within the team under Philbin. While players publicly called for him to take the reins for earlier this year, he's a longshot to stick in a permanent role.
9. Mike Shanahan, former Broncos/Redskins head coach
Shanahan is interested in returning to coaching, and is only a few years removed from leading the Washington Redskins to the playoffs (which seems like a real feat nowadays), but he’ll want to have some front office input as well. However, his interview with the team did not go well, and he's fallen almost completely out of the race.
8. Chip Kelly, former Eagles head coach
Chip Kelly was fired by the Eagles Tuesday, and he'll immediately be one of the hottest coaching targets. The Dolphins could go after Kelly, and Ryan Tannehill could have success in his offense. It seems a bit unlikely right now, but it is a possibility.
7. Doug Marrone, Jaguars OL/assistant head coach
Marrone had a relatively impressive 15-17 record as head coach of the Bills over the last two seasons, but opted out of his contract after numerous disagreements with the front office. Many teams were impressed with his work in Buffalo and was expected to get another job elsewhere, but found himself on the job market a little too late to land the kind of job he wanted. He'll be a top target for several teams this offseason.
6. Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator
Austin has had a relatively short NFL coaching career to this point, but he's been extremely successful. He made them one of the best units in the league last year in his first season on the job while overcoming a multitude of injuries to key players and helping Detroit get back to the playoffs. Before that, he served as the defensive backs coach of Seahawks, Cardinals, and Ravens from 2003-2013 - taking a break to be Florida's defensive coordinator in 2010 - but he doesn't have any prior head coaching experience. Still, he's one of the rising stars in the coaching world and he received a lot of interest last offseason.
5. Sean McDermott, Panthers defensive coordinator
McDermott has done a wonderful job in Carolina and it's only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job. He's going to be a very popular candidate this season and could have his choice of several jobs.
4. Mike Smith, former Falcons head coach
Smith was run out of Atlanta after the team with 10-22 in the last two years of his tenure with the Falcons. With a year off the head coaching circuit, he's starting to receive a little bit of interest once again. The team is slated to interview him, but it's unclear whether or not they're just doing their due diligence.
3. Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator
McDaniels has rebuilt his reputation while leading the Patriots’ offense for the past four seasons after a less-than-successful head coaching debut in Denver. He has a strong desire to be an NFL head coach again, and Miami has a talented young roster already assembled that would be very appealing to McDaniels. Could he bring some of the Brady Effect over to rejuvenate Ryan Tannehill? Very possible.
2. Hue Jackson, Bengals offensive coordinator
Jackson guided the Oakland Raiders to a .500 record in 2011 (no small feat, considering how little he had to work with and how bad they've looked since), and it's only a matter of time before he gets another shot at a full head coaching role. Cincinnati's offense has been consistently productive despite a number of injuries and Andy Dalton's struggles, and the Dolphins will likely be one of several teams to interview Jackson this spring.
1. Adam Gase, Bears offensive coordinator
It was believed to be a virtual lock that Gase will be an NFL head coach in 2015, but opted to follow John Fox to the Bears. Gase was the architect of one of the most dynamic (and productive) offenses in recent NFL history in Denver. Gase's work with an aging Peyton Manning has been nothing short of spectacular. We'd bet our houses on the fact that he'd get the most out of the uber-talented Ryan Tannehill, unlike a seemingly lost Joe Philbin.
The Dolphins feel the same way, and are expected to offer him the job sooner rather than later.
Back to the Miami Dolphins Newsfeed