Identifying Best Head Coaching Candidates for the Miami Dolphins

2016 will mark the fourth time in the past decade that the Miami Dolphins will enter a season with a different head coach than the one who began the previous season.

Nick Saban (2006) begat Cam Cameron (2007) begat Tony Sparano (2008) begat Joe Philbin (2012) begat someone else (2016).

Whether that person is interim head coach Dan Campbell or someone new remains to be seen. Campbell will do everything in his power to turn the Dolphins around, but there will be plenty of head coaching candidates available next offseason.

Here's a handful of people who could be the Dolphins head coach in 2016 and beyond.

Sean Payton

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It's not every year that a Super Bowl winning head coach becomes available, but if the New Orleans Saints continue to struggle as mightily as they have through the first five games of the season, Sean Payton could be the most valuable coaching candidate on the market.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Dolphins are one of several teams expected to inquire about Payton's availability after the 2015 season. That interest might be mutual. It's still very early in the game, but according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, Payton is "intrigued by the idea" that the Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts could pursue him this offseason, though "he's not necessarily interested."

Payton would join a Dolphins team that already has its quarterback in place with Ryan Tannehill behind center. Vertical passing is a staple of Payton's offense, but Tannehill has struggled to deliver consistently accurate deep passes throughout his career. Maybe Payton's offensive mastery is exactly what Tannehill needs in order to improve that area of his game. 

Payton's strong suit has never been the defensive side of the ball, but the Dolphins already have a lot of talent on defense that could make his job a lot easier—especially if they can find that complementary boundary cornerback to put opposite Brent Grimes. 

One problem: Payton is under contract for two more seasons with the Saints, so the Dolphins would have to trade for him if he is not released from his contract. 

Eric Mangini

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Far from a stranger to the AFC East, Eric Mangini developed as a coach under New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He became the youngest head coach in the NFL when then-New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum lured him away. With Tannenbaum now in Miami, a reunion could be in store.

In five years as a head coach (three with the Jets, two with the Cleveland Browns), Mangini only made the playoffs once. The Jets fired him after an 8-3 start that failed to result in a playoff appearance in 2008, but he has spent the past four years rehabbing his image (two in television, two coaching tight ends). 

Mangini now presides over the San Francisco 49ers defense, a unit which currently ranks 27th in scoring and 31st overall. That's not exactly a resume builder, but his experience as a head coach combined with his familiarity with the division and with the leadership in Miami could make him an intriguing candidate for the Dolphins nonetheless.

One more factor that can't be ignored: When the Jets went to the AFC Championship Game two straight years, they did so largely on the backs of players who were drafted by Mangini. His ability to build a talented roster might earn him a longer look as a head coach for the Dolphins.

Josh McDaniels

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Until further notice, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should be considered a front-runner for any head coaching vacancy in the NFL.

He's passed up several jobs in the past, but his resume is nearly unmatched. The Patriots offense has perennially been one of the best in the NFL under his tutelage. His game plans were credited for the Patriots' massive offensive success in their Super Bowl run last season in which the Patriots scored 108 points in three games, including 28 points on the Seattle Seahawks, the best defense in the NFL. 

Success aside, McDaniels still has some demons to exorcise.

His short-lived tenure as Denver Broncos head coach was marred with controversy, including a videotaping scandal and some dubious draft choices.

Some of those draft selections, however, helped build the Broncos into a Super Bowl contender. Wide receivers Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, running back Knowshon Moreno, defensive end Robert Ayers, safety David Bruton, guard Zane Beadles, punter Britton Colquitt and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson all played key roles in bringing the Broncos to Super Bowl 48.

McDaniels helped make Patriots backup Matt Cassel a serviceable quarterback in 2008, when Brady missed the season with a torn ACL. He also coached journeyman Kyle Orton to the best year of his career in 2009 with the Broncos. Imagine the magic he could work with Tannehill as his quarterback, especially with the talent they already have in the passing game. 

Jim Schwartz

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We already know the Dolphins are interested in adding Jim Schwartz to their coaching staff, thanks to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. Schwartz is currently a consultant for the NFL's officiating department, and he elected to stay where he is instead of joining the Dolphins as defensive coordinator. 

But what if he were offered the head coaching gig?

Schwartz has indicated that he will be selective in choosing his next landing spot as a head coach. He might not get many better offers than to join a team with a quarterback already in place and with a franchise defensive player in Ndamukong Suh—not to mention he has a preexisting relationship with Suh, which could help him get the most out of the high-priced defensive tackle. 

The Dolphins would be lucky to have him. He employs an aggressive, old-school, zone-based 4-3 defense, but he showed a willingness to adapt to the times in 2014 as a defensive coordinator in Buffalo, where he incorporated some new wrinkles and pressure packages into the mix. The Bills finished the season ranked in the top five in points, yards, passing yards, turnovers and sacks. 

Indeed, the days of a two-gap scheme that limits the explosiveness of the Dolphins' most talented defenders would be over with Schwartz in town. 

Give him an offensive staff worth its weight in salt, and the Dolphins could quickly steer their ship back on course to the playoffs.

Dan Campbell

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For all the big-name, high-profile coaching candidates that will or could be available in 2016, it would be unfair to write off the possibility that Dan Campbell could shed the "interim" label from his current mantle as head coach.

At least give him a chance to prove himself before firing up the search engines for worthy head coaches.

"I'm not here just to finish the season out,” Campbell said in his opening press conference. "That's not my plan. We're coming here to win games." 

He has 12 games to prove himself as a worthy long-term successor to Joe Philbin, and if he can deliver on his promise to raise the Dolphins' toughness, physicality and intensity, he could be exactly what the Dolphins need in a head coach.

That being said, he might have an impossible task in front of him. At 1-3, the Dolphins are a long shot at best to make the playoffs. However, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has already expressed playoff expectations for his team in 2015.

Campbell might be able to prove himself a worthy head coach without taking the Dolphins to the postseason—a feat which would require the Dolphins to win at least eight or nine of their final 12 games—but with so many other names out there, Ross might find it difficult to make a long-term investment in an unknown coaching commodity like Campbell.