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After the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, a quarter of the NFL now has head coaching vacancies.
The New York Giants and Tennessee Titans fired their head coaches in the middle of the season, giving them a leg up to start a search while the rest of the NFL waited until after Week 18 to make a decision.
The Titans fired Brian Callahan in Week 7 after a 1-5 start and promoted senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy to serve as the team’s interim head coach. McCoy is unlikely to be hired as a full-time coach as the team went 2-9 under him.
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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel walks onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on August 23, 2025. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Callahan was in his second season when he was fired and had a 4-19 record as the Titans’ head coach.
The Giants fired Brian Daboll after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Chicago Bears, a game in which rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion, dropping them to 2–8. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was named interim coach and went 2-5 in his seven games.
Daboll was in his fourth season and compiled a 20-40-1 record. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth, but the team’s record worsened each season.
While Kafka won his last two games and received an interview for the full-time position, he is unlikely to land the Giants’ head coaching job.
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Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
The Atlanta Falcons became the third team to have a vacancy and waste some time, firing head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday. The team fired Morris after back-to-back 8-9 seasons.
The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris could afford a third season, but owner Arthur Blank had other plans. The Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Titans all have interviews scheduled with Morris, according to multiple reports.
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
The Cleveland Browns were the first team to make a move on “Black Monday” when they fired two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. The Browns went 5-12 in Stefanski’s final season.
In six seasons with the Browns, Stefanski went 45-56 with two playoff berths and one postseason win. The Giants have reportedly already interviewed Stefanksi, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Titans have interviews scheduled, according to multiple reports.
The Raiders were the next team to make a move, firing Pete Carroll after a disastrous season. The Raiders were 3-14, but were rewarded for their dismal season with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Cardinals were the last team to fire their coach on “Black Monday,” firing head coach Jonathan Gannon after three seasons. The Cardinals were 3-14 this season and lost their last nine games.
It looked like the Cardinals were building something when they went 8-9 in 2024, but the team regressed.
The Baltimore Ravens shocked the world when they parted ways with John Harbaugh on Tuesday after 18 seasons. Harbaugh was the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin.
The Ravens underachieved this season at 8-9 and missed the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, and the team moved on just a few days later. Harbaugh immediately became the top head coaching candidate on the market and has drawn interest from every team with a vacancy, according to multiple reports.
Harbaugh went 180-113 in his Ravens tenure, which included a 2012 Super Bowl victory over his brother, Jim Harbaugh.
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks onto the field prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
The Dolphins were the latest team to make a move, firing McDaniel on Thursday, creating the eighth head coaching vacancy. McDaniel went 35-33 in four seasons with the Dolphins, including two trips to the playoffs.
McDaniel is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and is reportedly expected to draw interest.
This offseason marks the second consecutive eight-opening season in which the Raiders are the lone team involved in a head coaching search in both seasons.
