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Report: Mike McDaniel set to interview for Las Vegas Raiders head coaching vacancy

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax01/17/26BarkleyTruax

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is interviewing for the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job on Monday, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. The Raiders are traveling to Miami to conduct the interview.

Notably, the Raiders hold the rights to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many expect Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza to be selected there, an interesting prospect for fans of the Las Vegas franchise.

McDaniel has been quite busy since being let go as Dolphins coach, however. So far, he’s conducted head coaching interviews for the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. He’s also interviewed for the Lions and Buccaneers offensive coordinator positions.

If McDaniel is hired in Las Vegas, he’d be replacing Pete Carroll. Carroll went 3-14 during one season with the Raiders. The Raiders were one of four teams to finish with with just three wins this past season.

McDaniel had been Miami’s head coach since the 2022 season. He experienced immediate success, helping lead the Dolphins to AFC Wild Card appearances in both the 2022 and 2023 season. Both of those games, however, resulted in losses.

In the two seasons since its last postseason appearance, the Dolphins compiled a 15-19 record and finished second and third in the AFC East. It appeared as if Miami ranked among the worst teams in the NFL earlier this season, as the Dolphins lost six of their first seven games. They played much better down the final stretch, however, winning six of their final 10 games to finish at 7-10.

The late-season surge was too little, too late, and the Dolphins missed out on the postseason for the second consecutive year. The slow start forced McDaniel to constantly deal with rumors regarding his potential firing, and many questioned his decision to bench franchise cornerstone quarterback Tua Tagoavailoa in favor of rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers for the final three games of the season.

Now, McDaniel is looking to have a fresh start — and it appears that he has more than enough suitors for his services for the 2026 season. Where that will be, for now, remains to be seen.