Mike McDaniel to be next Chargers OC ‘barring a change of heart’

Mike McDaniel is heading west after being fired as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach.

McDaniel is reportedly expected to become the Los Angeles Chargers’ next offensive coordinator, “barring a change of heart,” according to ESPN.

“McDaniel has informed other teams that they’re out, the Chargers clearly want him, and the two sides are having dinner tonight,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday night. “But the expectation across the league is that McDaniel will be staying in LA.”

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The Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman after a brutal loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card round. Los Angeles finished 12th in yards per game (333.8), though they were middle of the pack in points scored (21.6).

McDaniel’s firing in Miami came as a bit of a surprise after ownership backed him only to relieve him of his duties shortly after.

Dolphins tight end Darren Waller even said he was “at the scene of the crime” when he was in the middle of his exit interview with McDaniel as owner Stephen Ross “kicked the door open” roughly 10 minutes into their discussion.

DOLPHINS’ DARREN WALLER SAYS HE WAS KICKED OUT OF EXIT MEETING WITH COACH MIKE MCDANIEL BEFORE FIRING

“He comes in and, like, joins the conversation,” Waller said. “We’re just all talking, reflecting on the year, and Stephen Ross was like, ‘Love to have you back next year.’ Then the conversation kind of just hits a lull.”

Since then, McDaniel has been flying around for interviews for both head coaching and offensive coordinator opportunities. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles both pursued McDaniel as their top offensive coordinator candidate, according to ESPN.

However, the report adds that “the lure of getting back to California and coaching Justin Herbert proved strongest” as McDaniel was being courted across the league.

The Dolphins made back-to-back playoff appearances in McDaniel’s first two seasons as head coach but were eliminated both times in the first round. The following season, they were eliminated after an unexpected loss to the New York Jets in the team’s season finale. 

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel leaves the field at the end of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium Oct. 12, 2025. (Rich Storry/Imagn Images)

McDaniel’s final season in Miami was tumultuous, highlighted by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s struggles and his eventual benching the final three games of the season.  

As one of his last major moves as head coach, McDaniel said this week that the Dolphins would hold a quarterback competition for the 2026 season, a decision Tagovailoa seemed to welcome this week when he confirmed he was open to a “fresh start” somewhere else.

There’s no quarterback competition for the Chargers. Herbert has been the star at the position since he was drafted sixth overall in 2020. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod this year after throwing for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions behind one of the worst offensive lines in football after tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were lost for the season.

Since taking over, Harbaugh quickly got the Chargers back in the playoffs, but they’re searching for that first playoff win under the veteran coach. They lost in the wild-card round last season to the Houston Texans as well.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs to the locker room after the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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Not only will McDaniel have an accurate, strong-throwing quarterback, but there are a few weapons to be optimistic about moving forward, including running backs Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal and receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.

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