Chargers Hire Ex-dolphins Coach Mike Mcdaniel As Offensive Coordinator

The Chargers hired erstwhile Miami Dolphins caput coach Mike McDaniel arsenic their caller violative coordinator Monday arsenic they look to maximize backmost Justin Herbert‘s talents successful nan aftermath of different one-and-done playoff exit.

Fired by nan Dolphins connected Jan. 8 aft a 7-10 season, McDaniel went 35-33 complete 4 seasons successful South Beach. His hiring comes little than 2 weeks aft Herbert fell to 0-3 successful nan playoffs pursuing a 16-3 AFC wild-card loss to nan New England Patriots, resulting successful violative coordinator Greg Roman’s firing.

With protect coordinator Jesse Minter leaving to go coach of nan Baltimore Ravens, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will person 2 caller coordinators successful 2026.

Considered 1 of nan NFL’s starring violative innovators erstwhile he was hired by nan Dolphins aft a one-year stint arsenic violative coordinator successful San Francisco, McDaniel guided Miami to back-to-back playoff berths successful 2022 and ’23. In McDaniel’s first season, backmost Tua Tagovailoa passed for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns successful 13 games. He past passed for a league-leading 4,624 yards pinch 29 touchdowns successful 2023 astatine nan beforehand of nan league’s apical discourtesy (401 nett yards per game).

The Dolphins, however, were winless successful nan playoffs nether McDaniel. And Tagovailoa’s injury-limited 2024 season, coupled pinch his deteriorating performances this season, factored into McDaniel’s firing.

Still, McDaniel’s estimation arsenic an violative guru made him a premier campaigner not conscionable for coordinator positions, but for caput coaching vacancies too. He reportedly interviewed for caput coaching jobs pinch nan Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans earlier deciding to subordinate Harbaugh’s staff. He besides reportedly withdrew from information for nan Cleveland Browns’ caput coaching occupation and canceled an question and reply for nan Buffalo Bills caput coaching vacancy earlier formalizing his woody pinch nan Chargers.

Harbaugh said past week he wanted “a caput coach of nan offense,” personification who “teaches, installs and puts nan players successful nan champion position to beryllium successful.”

Much of that wish database will halfway connected McDaniel establishing a tally crippled to complement Herbert — thing that ne'er afloat materialized nether Roman and Harbaugh.

The Chargers intelligibly prioritized nan unreserved past offseason erstwhile they signed Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton successful nan first round. But season-ending injuries to Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Harris, coupled pinch Hampton being undermined by ankle injuries, thwarted meaningful year-over-year gains (122 yards per crippled successful 2025; 111 successful 2024).

With nan violative statement group to return to afloat spot and wide head Joe Hortiz saying he’s consenting to walk immoderate of nan team’s estimated $103 cardinal successful salary-cap space, nan Chargers are well-positioned for different postseason tally successful 2026.

Whether McDaniel tin thief Herbert extremity his playoff winless streak remains to beryllium seen.