Dolphins Coaching Search: Close to the Finish Line?

Offensive coordinators Mike McDaniel and Kellen Moore reportedly are scheduled to interview for the Miami Dolphins head coach position this weekend

Monday will make it four weeks since the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores, but their search for his replacement could be over before that "anniversary."

The Dolphins are down to two finalists, per multiple reports, and they are expected to conduct interviews with each of them this weekend.

49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is scheduled to go first Friday, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will follow Saturday.

McDaniel interviewed for the Dolphins offensive coordinator last offseason before being promoted from run game coordinator by the 49ers. Moore interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach position early in their search, which concluded Thursday night when they hired former Eagles head coach (and former Dolphins quarterback) Doug Pederson.

The Dolphins are one of three teams still without a head coach, not counting the Minnesota Vikings, who reports indicate have settled on Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell and will make it official the day after Super Bowl LVI.

Owner Stephen Ross and GM Chris Grier want, according to national reports, the new head coach to move forward with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and most of the defensive coaches with the hope of building on the impressive finish of 2021 when the Dolphins won eight of their past nine games after starting 1-7.

The coaching search was badly overshadowed this week by the lawsuit filed by Flores, particularly his allegation that Ross offered him $100,000 per loss in the 2019 season to help secure the highest position possible in the 2020 NFL draft.

Because of that cloud suddenly over the Dolphins franchise, the interviews with McDaniel and Moore this weekend figure to be two-sided because the two candidates are in good situations if they decide to wait for a better opportunity.

Once hired, the next order of business for the new Dolphins head coach would be to assemble an offensive staff and two interesting names to watch — based on past and current working relationships — would be 49ers wide receivers coach Wes Welker for McDaniel and former Dallas QB coach (and former NFL quarterback) Jon Kitna for Moore.

First things first, though: The Dolphins have to hire their new head coach before we get to that point.

We previously broke down both Moore and McDaniel as head coach candidates:

-- Kellen Moore as a head coach candidate

-- Mike McDaniel as a head coach candidate