The Los Angeles Chargers are expected to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, according to league sources.
McDaniel met with Chargers officials throughout the day Tuesday, and those meetings continued Tuesday night with dinner, according to league sources. Nothing is official yet, but according to a league source, McDaniel removed his name from consideration for the Cleveland Browns head-coaching job. He had already interviewed once for the Browns job, and was scheduled for a second interview Wednesday, according to a league source. McDaniel also has interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders head-coaching vacancies.
The Chargers have informed other candidates that they are moving forward with McDaniel, according to a league source. McDaniel has also told coaches in the NFL he is moving west and taking the job to coach quarterback Justin Herbert.
If the deal gets done, McDaniel will replace Greg Roman, who the Chargers fired last week after two seasons calling offensive plays. McDaniel lasted four seasons as Dolphins coach, finishing with a 35-33 record.
NEWS: The Chargers are expected to hire former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel as their next OC, sources tell me and @danielrpopper.
McDaniel has been a hot commodity this cycle, interviewing for both head coach and offensive coordinator roles. In the end, he opts for L.A. pic.twitter.com/NYnfRcn1DI
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 21, 2026
In his first two years in Miami, McDaniel built one of the most explosive and innovative offenses in football. In 2023, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — who was selected one spot before Herbert in the 2020 draft — led the NFL in passing yards with 4,624. The Dolphins were also second in offensive scoring and third in expected points added per play, according to TruMedia.
McDaniel’s offense deteriorated over his final two seasons in Miami, as Tagovailoa missed time because of injuries, including a concussion that kept him out of four games in 2024. Tagovailoa’s performance unraveled in 2025, and he was eventually benched in December.
Still, McDaniel’s work with Tagovailoa in 2022 and 2023 proved how he can elevate a quarterback with a limited skill set.
The exciting question for the Chargers: What can McDaniel do with Herbert, a quarterback with a limitless athletic skill set?
At his end-of-season news conference last week, coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about Herbert.
“It’s our responsibility to put him in the best position possible,” Harbaugh said.
Roman had failed to do so in the last two postseason appearances.
Earlier this month, the Chargers scored just three points in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card round. It was the second straight season that ended with a first-round postseason exit. Roman also coordinated a Chargers offense that scored 12 points in last year’s playoff loss to the Houston Texans.
McDaniel, meanwhile, is the type of coach and play caller who can give Los Angeles a clear schematic advantage. The Chargers, as an organization, do not need to look far into the past for an example of that. McDaniel’s Dolphins put up 36 points on then-coach Brandon Staley’s defense in the 2023 season opener. McDaniel ran circles around Staley in design and play calling, putting Tagovailoa in position to throw for 466 yards. Receiver Tyreek Hill caught 11 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
Harbaugh said last week he is looking for “a head coach of the offense, that person that teaches, installs, puts the players in the best position to be successful, and ultimately scores points, number one.”
McDaniel checks those boxes. He also presents some synergy with Harbaugh from a philosophical perspective. McDaniel rose quickly during his time as Kyle Shanahan’s run game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-20. Run-game scheming has always been one of McDaniel’s specialties.
Harbaugh believes in building a reliable run game. It is why he hired Roman as his initial offensive coordinator in Los Angeles. And Harbaugh reiterated as much last week when asked about any philosophical tenets he is looking for in his next coordinator.
“Physical run game,” Harbaugh said. “Physical unit that is smart, plays tough, plays physical, very sound, and puts the playmakers in position to make plays, and does that as a unit.”
Over his four seasons in Miami, McDaniel’s offense ranked 11th in EPA per designed rush, according to TruMedia. They ranked third in that metric from 2022-23.
One month after he took the OC job in 2024, Roman famously asked, “Can you imagine Justin Herbert with a great running game?”
That never fully materialized, as the Chargers ranked 19th in EPA per designed rush and 22nd in rushing success rate under Roman.
With McDaniel now joining Harbaugh and Herbert, there is a more prudent question to ask: Can you imagine Herbert with a great and well-rounded schematic structure?
The Chargers hope this hire will get Herbert over the playoff hump.
