Following the season, the Miami Dolphins decided to dismiss head coach Mike McDaniel. Despite reports indicating that McDaniel was expected back, the Dolphins head coach did not retain McDaniel following a second consecutive season below .500. Under McDaniel, the Dolphins made the postseason in his first two years; however, they failed to end their postseason win drought as they lost in the Wild Card round on both occasions.
McDaniel ended his tenure with a 35-33 record, which was the fifth-best for a Dolphins head coach. Now that the Dolphins have moved on, McDaniel’s offensive creativity has garnered interest around the league. After spending time with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, McDaniel called plays for the first time with Miami and led the Dolphins to the third-best offense in points per game in 2023.
Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Hired by Chargers
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that former Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel is expected to become the new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator. He’ll work under Jim Harbaugh, who led the Chargers to an 11-6 record this season. Despite possessing one of the league’s top defenses, and a Pro Bowl quarterback, the Chargers lost in the first round of the playoffs as they were only able to score three points against New England.
With the Dolphins, McDaniel scored 27 and 10 points in two matchups against the Patriots this season. Dolphins fans are familiar with the Chargers and their Pro Bowl quarterback, as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been linked with Justin Herbert since their rookie seasons. Tagovailoa was taken fifth overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, while Herbert was taken one pick later by the Chargers.
Jim Harbaugh got a good look at McDaniel’s Dolphins’ offense this year as Miami scored 27 points in the loss to the Chargers.
Mike McDaniel Declined Head Coaching Opportunity
Once McDaniel was let go by the Dolphins, he began getting requests to interview for teams’ head coaching and offensive coordinator vacancies. Prior to signing with the Chargers,the Cleveland Browns expressed interest in hiring McDaniel as their new head coach. The Browns fired two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, and cast a wide net of candidates, including McDaniel. A report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had indicated that the Browns were interested in McDaniel even before the Dolphins decided to part ways, Fowler said, “My sense is that McDaniel would be a candidate in Cleveland, should the Dolphins move on and Cleveland’s job open.”
McDaniel did end up being a candidate in Cleveland as he interviewed once with the team, but prior the Chargers news breaking, NFL insider Tom Pelissero indicated that McDaniel withdrew his name from consideration. McDaniel was scheduled to have a second interview with the Browns, but that never materialized. The Browns made the playoffs in 2023, but have since gone 8-26 and without a franchise quarterback on the roster, McDaniel likely decided that the Cleveland job would have been an uphill battle. Instead, he’ll work with a team that has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
Former Dolphins Head Coach Hired by Chargers