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Looks like one AFC franchise has taken a liking to San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
But there’s also interest in Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore — which has made the Miami Dolphins job a two-person race for who will get the head coaching gig down in South Beach.
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Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, both McDaniel and Moore have their second interview with the Dolphins set for both Friday, February 4 and Saturday, February 5.
McDaniel Comes From Prominent NFL Coaching Tree
One of the fastest growing coaching trees in the NFL is the Sean McVay tree.
The head coach of the Los Angeles Rams will soon put on the headset and call the shots for his second Super Bowl appearance since 2019. And standing across from him? Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, a former Rams assistant of his (Taylor was assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 then quarterbacks coach in 2018 with the Rams).
While McDaniel currently is the right-hand man for Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers’ offense, he shares one thing in common with his coaching boss and McVay: They have Washington roots together, per Peter Schrager of the NFL Network.
AFC East Head Coach is a McDaniel Backer
McDaniel does have one strong endorser, who could end up coaching against McDaniel should he cross over to the AFC East: New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.
Saleh and McDaniel are familiar with one another: Both not only worked with Shanahan in San Francisco, but the two worked together with the Houston Texans from 2006-2008 with McDaniel as an offensive assistant and Saleh as defensive quality control coach.
“Mike is phenomenal. His mindset, the way he creates things, his outside-the-box thinking and his ability to communicate with people, he’s as good as they get. He’s been with Kyle longer than any of us have. He’s brilliant. He’s every bit as deserving to be a head coach,” Saleh told reporters after the Tuesday, February 1 Reese’s Senior Bowl practice.
Saleh, though, has one dilemma involving his former co-worker.
“I would not like him to come to the division,” Saleh jokingly said. “But if it happens, so be it.”
Should McDaniel take the Dolphins job, it means half of the AFC East will have 49ers representation at head coach. The current coaches with no ties with the ‘Niners are Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.
Cowboys VP Answers What Moore Loss Would Mean
Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones was asked what the future holds with Moore on staff.
Jones, via Jori Epstein of USA Today on Tuesday, said that even if Moore does leave for an NFL opening, the Cowboys have an offensive mind already in place in head coach Mike McCarthy.
“Not that Kellen’s not a huge, integral part of this, and we certainly want to keep him,” Jones said between Senior Bowl practices at Hancock Whitney Stadium. “But the great news is that Mike is an offensive football coach and called plays for Super Bowl teams and championship teams. So it gives you a little more safety net, if you will, versus where we were on the defensive side of the ball.”
Jones, though, has ensured that if Moore does get offered a head coaching gig, he’s all for watching Moore receive his NFL coaching elevation.
“Certainly, it’s great to have Mike and what he’s all about in place. (It’s) not that I’m not rooting for Kellen. I think the world of Kellen and that’s why we want him back,” Jones said. “At the same time, not rooting against him to further his career.”
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