The Miami Dolphins fired former head coach Mike McDaniel earlier in the week, but it’s safe to assume the offensive guru won’t be out of work for long. As of this posting, seven teams (excluding the Dolphins) are looking for a new head coach, while even more are searching for their next offensive coordinator. McDaniel should draw plenty of interest for both positions, so let’s take a look at the best fits for each.
Top Mike McDaniel Landing Spots, Ranked
Head Coaching Fits
While Mike McDaniel never won a playoff game with the Miami Dolphins, he helped transform Tua Tagovailoa from a backup-caliber passer under Brian Flores to a productive starter. The quarterback is easily the most important position in football, and McDaniel has a proven track record of getting the most out of the position.
With this in mind, teams with young, developing quarterbacks could be interested in hiring Mike McDaniel to lead their organization, and the New York Giants should be at the top of the list. First-round pick Jaxson Dart showed plenty of promise as a rookie, but he had more than his fair share of negative plays and showed a concerning inability to stay out of harm’s way. Someone like McDaniel could scheme easy throws for Dart and keep him from getting too banged up.
The Las Vegas Raiders, meanwhile, have the first-overall pick and could use that selection on a quarterback like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Both players have the potential to be franchise quarterbacks, but they’ll need the right environment to succeed. Mike McDaniel can help craft that environment and help whichever rookie they pick adjust to life in the NFL.
Offensive Coordinator Fits
Of course, there is a chance Mike McDaniel doesn’t become a head coach during this hiring cycle. Just about every team in the league would love to have him as an offensive coordinator, but he could be truly dangerous in Detroit. The Dolphins were at their most dangerous when McDaniel had a premier deep threat in Tyreek Hill and a do-everything running back in De’Von Achane.
Jameson Williams is no Tyreek Hill (nobody is), but he’s good enough to be a dangerous threat in this offense. Gibbs, meanwhile, could shatter records with McDaniel calling the plays. Add in one of the game’s premier possession receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and an upgraded quarterback in Jared Goff and Detroit’s offense should return to being one of the league’s elite units.
Alternatively, Mike McDaniel could land with the Washington Commanders. Jayden Daniels looked like the next big thing as a rookie under former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, but injuries prevented him from building on that campaign in Year 2. With Kingsbury now looking for other opportunities, McDaniel could come in and wreak havoc on the league with Daniels. While 2025 was disappointing, he looked like a future top-10 quarterback as a rookie and should recapture that form with McDaniel.
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