Dolphins name Sillman CEO of Ross Sports & Entertainment; Garfinkel steps down
Daniel Sillman, 37, has been named CEO of Ross Sports & Entertainment, taking operational control of the Miami Dolphins. Tom Garfinkel, who served as team president for 13 years, is stepping down but will remain as vice chairman.
The Miami Dolphins have named Daniel Sillman as CEO of Ross Sports & Entertainment, according to ESPN's reporting, elevating the 37-year-old executive to operational control of the franchise and shifting decision-making authority within the organization.
Tom Garfinkel is stepping down as team president and CEO after 13 years, per ESPN. He will transition to serve as vice chairman of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium and as a managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix.
Sillman, who is married to Stephen Ross's daughter Kimberly, is co-founder and executive chairman of Relevent Sports, which oversees the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open, and the Precision Drive Club. He led the team's recent search for a head coach and general manager this offseason, roles filled by Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan respectively. Both Hafley and Sullivan, along with vice president of football operations Brandon Shore, will report directly to Sillman, ESPN reports.
Sillman has negotiated billions of dollars in media rights deals through Relevent Sports, including a $1.4 billion agreement between LaLiga and ESPN and a $1.5 billion deal between UEFA and Paramount, according to ESPN.
Garfinkel joined the Dolphins organization in 2013 and led the $550 million privately funded renovation of Hard Rock Stadium. He was instrumental in bringing the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament to the facility. During his tenure, Hard Rock Stadium hosted Super Bowl LIV in 2020, the College Football Playoff national championship in 2021 and 2026, and seven matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the bronze medal match. Garfinkel also designed a multisection campus around Hard Rock Stadium modeled after Disneyland, per ESPN.
Stephen Ross previously named Sillman, his daughter Kimberly, and his daughter Jennifer as successors to run the Dolphins, according to ESPN.
Daniel Sillman, Stephen Ross's son-in-law and co-founder of Relevent Sports, is now the top executive overseeing the Dolphins, with head coach Jeff Hafley, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, and VP Brandon Shore reporting directly to him.
Sillman's appointment consolidates authority over football operations and business decisions under one executive, ending Garfinkel's 13-year tenure and signaling a family succession plan for the Ross Sports & Entertainment portfolio. Watch whether this structure produces different hiring, personnel, or strategic decisions than prior regimes.
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Also reported by Miami Dolphins, The News-Press, The Edwardsville Intelligencer, Dolphins Talk. Independent coverage of the same development, found by search; not this story's sources.
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