The 42-year-old McDaniel went 35-33 with a pair of playoff berths in his four-season run as the Dolphins head coach. However, his offensive prowess in five years with the 49ers led him to prominence. He spent four seasons as the team’s run game coordinator and one as the team’s OC.
Upon his departure from South Beach, McDaniel became a hot commodity among the growing number of head coach and offensive coordinator openings.
The Atlanta Falcons, Ravens, Browns, Raiders and Tennessee Titans interviewed him for their HC vacancies, while the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chargers interviewed him as an OC possibility. McDaniel was interviewing with the Chargers again on Tuesday and had a follow-up interview with the Browns scheduled for Wednesday before withdrawing from consideration.
With no ink yet put to paper, there is obviously the off chance McDaniel could have a change of heart should the Ravens and Raiders come calling with offers for their HC spots, but as of Tuesday, it’s expected that McDaniel is heading back to California.
Though the Dolphins’ offensive numbers waned in his final two seasons in Miami, finishing 26th and 25th in yards and points, respectively, in 2025, McDaniel is still considered a top offensive mind. Though things ended poorly with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, McDaniel coached the 2020 NFL Draft’s No. 5 overall pick to a Pro Bowl and a passing title in 2023. Now, McDaniel is poised to pilot Herbert, who was taken a spot after Tagovailoa in the ’20 draft.
In 2022, the Dolphins were the sixth-ranked total offense and by 2023 they were No. 1. With the Chargers’ offense under Roman having scored one touchdown in two combined playoff losses and finishing 20th in points in 2025, L.A. was looking to freshen things up a bit. The Bolts have tabbed McDaniel as the man to liven up the offense and get the best out of Herbert going forward.
For McDaniel, this is a chance to shine up his image and resume once more before another hiring cycle or two. It should also make for a can’t-miss dynamic between McDaniel and head coach Jim Harbaugh, both known for having highly entertaining news conferences though in vastly different manners.