Why McDaniel weighed options before joining LAC
NFL insider Dianna Russini joins the Dan Le Batard Show to explore Mike McDaniel's path to the Chargers, examining how the former Dolphins head coach weighed several options before ultimately landing in Los Angeles.
Video Transcript
I'd like any fresh reported materials that you have for us on how weird this Mike McDaniel thing was, where he's got a number of options, he signs with the Chargers.
But it's pending if the Ravens job- Yeah... Or Raiders job or Bills job or Josh Allen become available, and now he's back with the Chargers.
Like, was this normal to you?
And welcome, by the way.
Hi, guys.
Yeah, you know what?
It, it's actually, it's actually normal.
Look, this is a high-profile head coach who is an offensive-minded head coach.
Right?
And that's kind of a big need right now the league.
So it was smart of him to scope it out, figure out, m- maybe he could get another head coaching gig after.
After the Miami Dolphins fired him.
So, I don't think a lot of people realize this, but you can sign on as an offensive coordinator.
You can sign the papers, you can do all of it.
You can make the big announcement on social media.
And if, let's just say, for example, right now, the Buffalo Bills call him Hey, Mike, we want you to be the head coach of the Buffalo Bills and coach Josh Allen.
Do that.
Like, he has every right to just take a head coaching job, because the rules state that if it's a higher position, you're able to do that.
So a lot of people don't do that.
Right?
Because that's gonna ruin relationships.
Obviously, Jim Harbaugh's not gonna like that.
So if you were sensing some weirdness with it, It's because it was weird.
I think Mike had desires to still be a head coach and wanted opportunity, but also realized if that didn't shake out, The best opportunity would be with the Chargers.
And I don't think he really wanted to piss off Jim Harbaugh through this either.
Right?
'Cause he gave him his word, "Hey, I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna be your coach."
But he was still checking out all of his options.
But, for now, it's official.
I don't think he's gonna back out.
But I, I, he's not gonna back out, 'cause I don't get the sense that any of these openings are going to be hiring him in the next few hours here.
And, just a heads-up, a lot of hiring is gonna be going down over the next few hours.
Diana, it seems to me that coaching Justin Herbert for that team is, is the best possible path back to a head coaching job for Mike McDaniel.
Yeah.
Do you agree, and if so, why?
Yeah, I do, because we still have yet to see Justin take off.
Right?
I think we've talked about this on the show, how good he is.
I think most people that cover and follow football believe that Justin Herbert is a very talented quarterback.
But he can't get over the hump.
So if Mike McDaniel can walk in here and, and maybe bring this offense alive, you absolutely can get back in.
And I think that's the way a lot of these guys are approaching it.
If you can just have one good year and get a young quarterback functioning.
You become the hottest head coach candidate.
I mean, Kliff Kingsbury was fired, and he got head coaching jobs after this.
Washington Commanders year that wasn't even that good.
There is just such a drought for smart, offensive-minded head coaches right now, and that's really the problem that you're seeing with the, this cycle.
I think the leader of men, we'll call it that, that description.
I think there's a good amount of them.
I think more specific to offensive-minded, There's not as many.
A quick follow-up on Mike McDaniel.
A source of mine with the Dolphins told me that the reason he got so much interest is that he qualified under the Rooney Rule.
Oh, come on.
Is that true?
Come on.
Do you believe that's true?
No.
No, come on.
Yeah, no, but it's gonna happen because- Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Was that, "happen to know"?
Excuse me, Diana.
I just wanna know, is that an original Rooney?
He happens to know.
Is that it?
You just said a source.
Yeah.
You never do that.
Forgive me, Diana, but you just reported, are you reporting that a source with the Dolphins: Yes... Said to you that he got so many interviews.
'cause he's a Black candidate?
I think that's, That's part of the reason why.
Damn it!
And, and I'm wondering-- uninformed... And I'm wondering if Diana believes that's true.
Or if she thinks- Yeah...
He got that many interviews based solely on, on, on merit.
I'm, I'm just curious.
Yeah.
And, and I was told that the night of the National Championship game, Monday night, by a high-ranking Dolphins official.
You don't have- we're not questioning you.
We're just saying, you're reporting that, 'cause that's gonna be national news.
That's- That's a tough look for the Dolphins.
It's, it's, I mean, it's so ridiculous what you're saying.
Okay.
That, that that's gonna become national news.
All I'm saying is, And, and I don't know the exact number, if Mike McDaniel was interviewed by five let's say, for a head coaching job, does Diana think that part of the reason might have been that, that higher qualifi- that, that interview qualified under the Rooney Rule?
That's all.
I, I do.
In Mike's case, I do not believe that to be true.
I, I, I am not questioning that somebody told you that.
I believe that someone maybe shared that with you, but obviously, that's just their opinion.
Right.
They don't know whether or not the Bills were- Right... Really serious about Mike.
The Brown, I know, and they were serious, and it has everything to do with what we just talked about in, of his offensive mind.
And look, I know it wasn't spectacular there in Miami, but some of these situations, and we talked about this last week, so many of these guys get fired, and their stock goes up.
Right?
Mike went from being just the bizarre coach that's, has genius moments, but no one's really sure what he's about.
To every team that was looking for a head coach had shown interest.
Reached out to his camp.
Because I do think there's some untapped talent there.
And if he can be linked to the right quarterback with a good ownership group, I do think he could have success.
So, I feel very comfortable saying all the Mike McDaniel interviews were because people believe that Mike McDaniel is a good coach.
You mentioned that it's not all that uncommon for a coach to have a coordinator position locked up.
But still take interviews.
But this interview process, at least publicly, seemed a little erratic.
He seemed interested in jobs, and then decided to pull himself out of certain interviews, maybe read some writing on the wall.
Or did he just value the LA spot?
What I assume, Diana, was that his agent was leveraging, "Hey, look how wanted my guy is."
one of you want to make him a head coach, right?
Yeah, I think there's a lot of that.
Right?
There's, there's, this is the time of year where we become, and when I say "we," us media members, one of the most important parts.
M- I don't call that many people right now.
People call me.
Right?
Because they want me to come on your show, right?
Now and be like, "You know who is a star?"
You know, a- and whatever name that is, because it helps.
There, there is, I'm not gonna reveal who it is, but there is a candidate that went through this cycle now that is 1,000%.
Constructed by the media.
Because every team I've talked to was like, Oh, my goodness, that- Ooh, let's guess.
He How?
Well, Go ahead.
Philip Rivers.
No, no, no.
Philip Rivers, for sure.
Yeah, let's, let's go ahead and guess, like, what- No, No, no, no, no, no.
The Philip Rivers thing actually had a little steam at one point.
I assume that was a, "Let's just be creative, think outside the box, try something different."
You know, His agent is the same agent as Josh Allen.
Maybe that was just, like, a favor.
You say a little steam.
What's the steam level here?
Yeah, like, give us a steam level.
Like a choo-choo train?
What's a little steam?
He- oh, that's- What's a little steam, like a little teapot?
Whathow much steam are we talking here?
Teapot, radiator.
A little teapot?
Like, just some hot, hot, steam off of your latte?
Like, I- coffee on a cold day.
Yeah, coffee on a cold day.
Oh, that's good.
