Dan Marino is now tied to a leadership change at the Miami Dolphins. Tom Garfinkel stepped down from day-to-day leadership after 13 years, and Daniel Sillman was named CEO of Ross Sports & Entertainment.
Garfinkel said, “I love the Dolphins and the people here, but after 13 years it was just the right time for me to make this decision.” He added that “the business has never been in a better place,” a line that sits next to the reported more than 400 percent revenue increase since he joined in 2013.
Ross Sports & Entertainment role
Tuesday’s move puts Sillman at the top of Ross Sports & Entertainment, the newly formed umbrella for the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open and the Precision Drive Club. For the Dolphins, Jon-Eric Sullivan, Jeff Hafley and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Brandon Shore will report to him, so the reporting line is now clearer even as Garfinkel stays close to the business.
Sillman already handled the offseason search that brought in new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley. That matters because the same executive who helped shape the football reset is now being handed the broader operating structure that sits above it.
Garfinkel's 13-year span
More than $3 billion in future contractually obligated sponsorship income, a $550 million transformation of Hard Rock Stadium and a $135 million Baptist Health Training Complex are the numbers that define Garfinkel’s run more than any title change does. The team also said he helped grow the Dolphins Cancer Challenge into the NFL's largest charitable fundraiser, generating more than $100 million for cancer research.
He also drove the Miami Grand Prix for Formula 1, brought the Miami Open to Hard Rock Stadium, and helped turn the venue into a stop for a Super Bowl, two College Football National Championship games and seven matches during the 2026 World Cup, including the third place game. That kind of scale is why his exit from daily control reads less like a handoff and more like a formal split between day-to-day operations and legacy oversight.
What Garfinkel keeps
Garfinkel will remain Vice Chairman for the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium and managing partner for the Miami Grand Prix, while Sillman takes the CEO seat at Ross Sports & Entertainment. For readers inside the organization, the practical change is simple: one executive now oversees the reporting structure, while the former top day-to-day leader stays in senior roles tied to the franchise and stadium.
Garfinkel closed with a direct vote of confidence, saying, “I have every confidence in where this organization is headed on and off the field under Danny's leadership.” That is the real read here: the succession plan is already in motion, and the business side of the Dolphins has been arranged so the transition can happen without losing the people or properties that made the last 13 years matter.
