ESPN: Mike McDaniel expected to become offensive coordinator for Los Angeles Chargers

One of the top coaches on the NFL market seems poised to make a surprising move. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington report that former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is expected to become the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Schefter noted on Twitter that “McDaniel has informed other teams that they’re out.” The two sides are reportedly having dinner tonight.

Mike McDaniel was viewed as one of the most coveted coaches on the market this offseason, and he was in the running for multiple head coaching openings. That’s nothing new for the 42-year-old coach.

When the Dolphins hired McDaniel, he was one of the hottest names out there. Success instantly followed too, as Miami made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. McDaniel worked with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, going 20-14 in those regular seasons before losing in the AFC Wild Card Round on both occasions.

Unfortunately, a regression followed in the coming years. Miami went 8-9 in 2024, only to follow things up with a 7-10 record this past season. Tagovailoa got benched by McDaniel and his staff, opening the door for Quinn Ewers to make appearances down the stretch.

Miami has since gone in a different direction, hiring Jeff Hafley to replace McDaniel. Hafley was previously the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers and has head coaching experience at the college level.

Mike McDaniel turns down Cleveland Browns

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Mike McDaniel withdrew from consideration for the Cleveland Browns head coaching job. McDaniel was set to have an in-person interview with the organization in the coming days. Instead, he appeared to be focusing on other opportunities — which crystallized on Tuesday night.

“Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel informed the Browns he’s withdrawing from their head coaching search ahead of a scheduled in-person interview Wednesday, per sources,” Pelissero said via X. “McDaniel — who is still a candidate for the Ravens and Raiders HC vacancies — is interviewing for the Chargers offensive coordinator job today. He has multiple OC offers and could have a new home soon.”

There was a short history between McDaniel and Cleveland, dating back to 2014. He was the team’s wide receivers coach under Mike Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Browns finished with a 7-9 record in the regular season before undergoing some staffing changes. Shanahan left for the Atlanta Falcons, taking McDaniel with him.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this report.