OK, it’s unanimous. Every Miami Dolphins fan says they can’t hire a first-time head coach. It never works. Just look at first-time Dolphins whiffs with Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel, right?

Draw a veteran, recycled name out of a hat, if necessary, Dolphins fans say.

This is the first problem with following a flawed franchise. You think their errors represent universal truths. Reality says something else. It shows of the eight teams in this past weekend’s playoffs — the real contending teams, folks — six were led by first-time head coaches.

Here’s the list, if you’re keeping score at home: Seattle’s Mike McDonald, Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, Chicago’s Ben Johnson and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott, who was fired Monday.

So, do you want a veteran coach? McDermott is available. Or is the Dolphins new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, a Green Bay Packers lifer, more comfortable with Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley?

The news here is it’s Sullivan’s hire to make. He’s point man on this hire, meaning he’s point man on this rebuild. That makes sense. Sullivan, as talent evaluator, is the most important man in the organization. Maybe that’s something Dolphins owner Steve Ross (and succeeding son-in-law Daniel Sillman) have learned.

There are a dozen ways to go up the mountain, as every year shows. First-time or veteran, offensive- or defensive-minded, easygoing or disciplinarian (although there are no old-school disciplinarians anymore) —  you can win with any of them in the right situation.

The Dolphins’ last two decades of failed hires are a road map for what they need, too. Education is expensive, considering these lost seasons. But here are the five non-negotiable traits the Dolphins’ hire must have.

1. Leadership. Can he command a room? If not, move on. Don’t laugh at something so basic. Most of Ross’s football hires haven’t been natural-born leaders. His first coaching hire, coach Joe Philbin impressed in the interview with an organized power point presentation, as Ross said. Enough said.

Adam Gase? Mike McDaniel? Do they bring to mind a strong leader or a play designer? Brian Flores was a leader, though in ways quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said recently that made him, “unrecognizable,” by his ending. If a candidate isn’t a genuine leader, move on.

2. Culture. It’s an overused term for the daily workplace and organizational philosophy. Pat Riley says Heat Culture starts with two ideas: No complaining and no gossiping. Then you get into hard work and standards. McDaniel’s culture centered on empowering the players. That works if you have the right players — look at the two-time-champion Florida Panthers, whose strong coach, Paul Maurice, says his Hall of Fame-caliber players drive the bus. But go back four years, and Maurice taught them how to drive.

Flores set hard standards. McDaniel never did. He called himself a “teammate” of players and rewarded flawed stars like Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill in a way that crippled his tenure. So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.

3. Developing players. This coach has to be a teacher, because the Dolphins are back to building a roster through the draft. That means developing rookies into NFL players with the first, second and three, third-round picks this spring. The Dolphins haven’t been able to build like this since … well, do you want to go back to Jimmy Johnson? They played a lot of rookies last season. Some look capable, none looked like a star in the making. Drafting and developing haven’t gone hand-in-hand for years with this franchise. It’s a central idea again now.

4. Ability to hire/retain a staff. McDaniel went through three defensive coordinators his first three seasons. Flores fired his offensive line coach four days into training camp. Change happens in the NFL. But the way to win in the league is have a good system, get players that fit that system and have coaches who teach it well year after year. The first thing coaches do in an interview is list their expected staff.

5. Understand the job. Bill Parcells said five things came across his desk every day that had nothing to do with football. As for football, McDaniel thought being a head coach was just an extension of an assistant coach. It took him into his fourth year and being walked over by players to understand the severe difference. The time to be tough is the first season when you’re setting your standards with not just players by staff.

Does the new coach, especially if a first-time head coach, understand that? And, again, being a first-time coach shouldn’t be an issue. Getting the right guy is. The NFL playoffs this weekend told you that.