The Chargers hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator Monday as they look to maximize quarterback Justin Herbert‘s talents in the wake of another one-and-done playoff exit.
Fired by the Dolphins on Jan. 8 after a 7-10 season, McDaniel went 35-33 over four seasons in South Beach. His hiring comes less than two weeks after Herbert fell to 0-3 in the playoffs following a 16-3 AFC wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, resulting in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s firing.
With defensive coordinator Jesse Minter leaving to become coach of the Baltimore Ravens, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will have two new coordinators in 2026.
Considered one of the NFL’s leading offensive innovators when he was hired by the Dolphins after a one-year stint as offensive coordinator in San Francisco, McDaniel guided Miami to back-to-back playoff berths in 2022 and ’23. In McDaniel’s first season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in 13 games. He then passed for a league-leading 4,624 yards with 29 touchdowns in 2023 at the front of the league’s top offense (401 net yards per game).
The Dolphins, however, were winless in the playoffs under McDaniel. And Tagovailoa’s injury-limited 2024 season, coupled with his deteriorating performances this season, factored into McDaniel’s firing.
Still, McDaniel’s reputation as an offensive guru made him a prime candidate not just for coordinator positions, but for head coaching vacancies too. He reportedly interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans before deciding to join Harbaugh’s staff. He also reportedly withdrew from consideration for the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching job and canceled an interview for the Buffalo Bills head coaching vacancy before formalizing his deal with the Chargers.
Harbaugh said last week he wanted “a head coach of the offense,” someone who “teaches, installs and puts the players in the best position to be successful.”
Much of that wish list will center on McDaniel establishing a run game to complement Herbert — something that never fully materialized under Roman and Harbaugh.
The Chargers clearly prioritized the rush last offseason when they signed Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round. But season-ending injuries to Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Harris, coupled with Hampton being undermined by ankle injuries, thwarted meaningful year-over-year gains (122 yards per game in 2025; 111 in 2024).
With the offensive line set to return to full strength and general manager Joe Hortiz saying he’s willing to spend some of the team’s estimated $103 million in salary-cap space, the Chargers are well-positioned for another postseason run in 2026.
Whether McDaniel can help Herbert end his playoff winless streak remains to be seen.