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Mike McDaniel

Latest On Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki

February 21st, 2022 at 3:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top storylines in Miami is how the team’s offense will grow under new head coach Mike McDaniel. Before the team takes the field for the first time with him in charge, though, the organization will have to decide if it wants to retain tight end Mike Gesicki, and how much they are willing to pay to do so. As The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes, scheme fit with the new coach could play a big role in the decision. 

Before the 2021 season started, it was reported that the Dolphins weren’t looking into an extension with the former second round pick. At that point, he was coming off a career-best season, where he posted 53 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns. That placed him amongst the most productive tight ends in the league, and set him up for another successful season.

2021 saw the Penn State product record 73 catches for 780 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. The reception and yardage totals ranked fifth and eighth in the league, respectively. The season also cemented Gesicki’s status as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s second favorite target, behind rookie Jaylen Waddle.

However, most of Gesicki’s production has come from lining up more as a wide receiver than a tight end, Jackson notes. Much of the reason for that is his sub-par blocking, both in the run and pass game, something that could be seen as a detriment for McDaniel, who is coming from a run-heavy scheme in San Francisco. The stylistic difference between Gesicki and George Kittle, whom McDaniel coached for years, could be problematic in terms of working the former into a new scheme in Miami.

More importantly, in the short term at least, Gesicki’s alignment could lead to problems in negotiations. He could attempt to be listed as a WR, rather than a TE for franchise tag purposes, something that would carry a difference of roughly $8MM. While Jackson notes that the odds of such a strategy working aren’t great, compromises are possible. If he were to sign on the TE tag, Gesicki would earn an estimated $10.8MM in 2022.

Ultimately, Jackson writes of Gesicki that “it wouldn’t be shocking if the Dolphins kept him”. Given his production, and the overall lack of weapons Miami currently has, tough, the uncertainty around his situation so close to free agency is certainly striking.

Dolphins To Hire Jon Embree As Assistant Head Coach

February 10th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

It appears the first addition to Mike McDaniel‘s staff in Miami will be a familiar face. Miami is hiring Jon Embree under the twin roles of assistant head coach and tight ends coach, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

[Related: Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As Head Coach]

Embree has been an NFL coach dating back to 2006. He is most well known for coaching tight ends, the role he served in Kansas City, Washington, Cleveland and Tampa Bay prior to joining San Francisco in 2017. There, he not only coached the unit featuring George Kittle, but also worked alongside McDaniel, who was hired by the Dolphins earlier this week. Embree also had the assistant head coach title he will be retaining in Miami.

The success Kittle has had under Embree’s tutelage has garnered the 56-year-old plenty of praise around the league. That translated to interest from the Broncos, who interviewed him to be their TEs coach prior to this hire.

It surprised many that Embree was even available to leave the Bay Area to begin with. His contact expired at the end of the season, and he declined to take a significant pay cut to remain with the 49ers. Instead, San Francisco hired ex-Chargers’ HC Anthony Lynn to serve as assistant head coach. As Branch notes, the 49ers have yet to hire a new TEs coach.

2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 6th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Coaching Rumors: Saints, Texans, McDaniel, Giants, Broncos

February 6th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints began their cycle of head coaching interviews this week, conducting meetings with the following candidates: former Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson (1/30; hired by Jaguars), former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores (2/1), Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (2/2), their current special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi (2/3), their current defensive coordinator Dennis Allen (2/4), and Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (2/6).

New Orleans also requested permission to interview Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. There were some early reports that permission had been granted, but that hasn’t been confirmed and nothing has been scheduled, as of yet. ESPN’s Saints’ reporter Mike Triplett also mentioned that current offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was offered an opportunity to interview for the position, but Carmichael declined. Despite being a part of Sean Payton‘s staff since Payton’s tenure in New Orleans began back in 2006, it appears Carmichael has no interest in running the show in the Big Easy. Whether he has retirement or another destination in mind or he is just comfortable in his role, Carmichael will not be the Saints’ next head coach.

Here are a few more notes from the ongoing coaching searches and staff changes throughout the NFL, starting with the other head coaching vacancy:

  • Houston recently narrowed their list of head coaching candidates down to three: Brian Flores, former quarterback Josh McCown, and Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Well, according to USA Today’s Josina Anderson, the Texans are now down to two candidates, with Gannon being informed Saturday that he will not be receiving the head coaching position, leaving Flores and McCown as the two remaining names.
  • New Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel reportedly has interest in holding on to some of the defensive assistants currently under contract in Miami, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. This includes current defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who followed Flores to Miami from New England. The lack of staff turnover would be a positive for a defensive unit that played well during the team’s seven-game win-streak in the back half of the season.
  • The Giants were able to add a piece to Brian Daboll‘s new staff while missing out on another today. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweeted out that Andy Bischoff will become the Giants’ new tight ends coach. Bischoff followed David Culley from Baltimore to Houston and will make the lateral move over from the Texans with their head coaching position still in the air. Unfortunately, the Giants did not get their running backs coach, as Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweeted out that Deland McCullough has turned down Daboll’s offer, choosing instead to remain the running backs coach at Notre Dame, believing it gives him the best opportunity to eventually become a head coach.
  • New Broncos’ head coach Nathaniel Hackett is also looking to fill out his staff. The Broncos are planning to interview Jon Embree who most recently held the position of tight ends coach/assistant head coach in San Francisco. Embree parted ways with the Niners after being asked to take a 60 percent pay cut after San Francisco’s NFC Championship loss. The man who has coached George Kittle since he was drafted in 2017 would be a nice addition to Hackett’s system.

Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As Head Coach

February 6th, 2022 at 5:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins have announced that they’ve agreed to terms to make 49ers’ offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel their next head coach (Twitter).

McDaniel recently had his second interview with Miami on Friday. Fox Sports Writer Peter Schrager reported that the interview lasted for 10 hours.
McDaniel was one of two candidates to receive a second interview with the Dolphins as Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore interviewed yesterday. With Moore not getting the job, it looks like Dallas will keep both coordinators as Moore has not been mentioned as a contender for the Saints’ or Texans’ jobs and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has informed teams that he is remaining in Dallas.

McDaniel is a longtime Kyle Shanahan-staffer, following Shanahan from Atlanta to San Francisco. Following Mike LaFleur‘s departure to join Robert Saleh on the Jets, McDaniel was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The 2021 NFL season was McDaniel’s first and only year as an offensive coordinator at any level. He first entered the NFL as an intern for the Broncos in 2004. He spent three years as an offensive assistant in Houston before taking the position of running backs coach for Sacramento’s short-lived UFL team. McDaniel re-entered the NFL ranks an an offensive assistant in Washington for two years before getting promoted to wide receivers coach. He spent one season in that position in Washington followed by a season holding the same position in Cleveland before heading to Atlanta to become an offensive assistant under Shanahan.

The 38-year-old’s rise has been meteoric since joining Shanahan. After two years in Atlanta, McDaniel became Shanahan’s run game coordinator in San Francisco for four seasons before finally getting his shot last year at offensive coordinator. McDaniel didn’t call plays for the 49ers, but he did draw up the running plays and coordinate a running game that ranked in the top-10 despite losing Raheem Mostert in Week 1 and missing Elijah Mitchell for 6 games this year.

With Brian Flores‘ lawsuit against the NFL, Dolphins, Giants, and Broncos alleging racial discrimination, much attention will likely be paid to the fact that McDaniel identifies as multiracial, making him the first minority coaching candidate to be hired in this year’s cycle. The 49ers will receive two third-round compensatory picks as a result of the hire.

With Miami securing their man, there are now only two teams remaining who are without a head coach: the Texans and Saints. Keep up with the last remaining coaching searches on our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Dolphins Second Interviews Expected For Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel, Kellen Moore

January 27th, 2022 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins appear to have moved to the finalist stage in their interview process. Second interviews are expected for Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

While neither of this cycle’s early hires — Nathaniel Hackett and Matt Eberflus — interviewed with the Dolphins, the team did speak with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn. He will not take one of the remaining available jobs, instead preferring to stay in Dallas. The Dolphins are leaning offense this time around. Their second round of interviews are not expected to take place until next week, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Considering Daboll’s connection to the Giants, this timetable is interesting.

Strongly connected to both the Dolphins and Giants’ HC vacancies, Daboll may end up having his pick of the two jobs. The Giants hired Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, who has already interviewed Daboll twice. The Dolphins are believed to have the four-year Bills OC slotted as their frontrunner; it is looking like the point man for Josh Allen‘s ascent will have a new job soon.

A three-year Cowboys OC, Moore interviewed with the Broncos, Jaguars and Vikings as well. At 33, he would be one of the youngest HC hires in NFL history. Despite Dallas’ early playoff exit, the NFC East champions ranked first in points scored and total offense this season. McDaniel looms as a bit of a wild card, given that he has not interviewed with another team during this cycle. This also marks the first offseason in which the San Francisco OC is receiving close attention for a coaching job. Unlike Daboll and Moore, McDaniel is a non-play-calling OC.

Here is how Miami’s HC search looks as of Thursday afternoon:

  • Thomas Brown, running backs coach/assistant head coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
  • Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Second interview expected; viewed as favorite?
  • Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/16
  • Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/21
  • Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator (49ers): Second interview expected
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Second interview expected
  • Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/20; remaining in Dallas

Dolphins Request Interviews With Dan Quinn, Mike McDaniel

January 11th, 2022 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

After surprisingly firing Brian Flores, the Dolphins continue to put in early work on his replacement. They sent interview requests to Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Quinn has become a consistent presence early in the request process. The Broncos and Bears have requested permission to meet with the first-year Cowboys DC. The Jaguars also submitted a request to interview Quinn virtually, attempting to take advantage of the NFL’s new early window, but the ex-Falcons leader declined to do a virtual meeting during the regular season. Nevertheless, he is a popular name thus far.

The 49ers saw the Jets poach one of Kyle Shanahan‘s right-hand men on offense last year, when Mike LaFleur became Robert Saleh‘s OC. McDaniel has been a Shanahan staffer for years, following him from Atlanta to San Francisco. The first-year 49ers OC doubles as the team’s run-game coordinator. Despite Raheem Mostert going down in Week 1 and Elijah Mitchell missing time with multiple injuries, the 49ers finished as a top-10 rushing attack.

This marks McDaniel’s first HC connection this year, but the Dolphins were interested in him a year ago. Miami had the San Francisco assistant on its OC radar last year, but Flores opted to go with an Eric Studesville–George Godsey co-OC setup. The Quinn and McDaniel summons follow the Dolphins’ Brian Daboll request, one the team submitted hours after firing Flores.

49ers Hire DeMeco Ryans As DC, Mike McDaniel As OC

January 18th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have officially promoted inside linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans to defensive coordinator. On the other side of the ball, they’re bumping run game coordinator Mike McDaniel to offensive coordinator, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

[RELATED: 49ers Re-Sign Josh Johnson]

Ryans takes over for former DC Robert Saleh, who has agreed to become the Jets’ new head coach. Many believed that Saleh would try to take Ryans with him to the East Coast, but the 49ers didn’t want to let Ryans get away. Given the work he has done with LBs Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, and Azeez Al-Shaair, the young assistant was a natural fit for the role.

McDaniel, meanwhile, takes over for Mike LaFleur, who will serve as Saleh’s OC in New York. McDaniel has worked with Kyle Shanahan at multiple stops and his profile has grown larger over the years. He was a candidate in the Browns’ most recent head coaching search and the Dolphins were also eyeing him as an OC candidate in this cycle.

Six OC Candidates Emerge For Dolphins

January 14th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are moving quickly on their third offensive coordinator search in three years. They have identified six candidates to succeed Chan Gailey, and some will be interviewing for the position.

Steelers quarterbacks coach Matt Canada interviewed for the post Thursday, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team has also identified Chargers QBs coach Pep Hamilton and 49ers run-game coordinator Mike McDaniel as OC options, according to ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe, who adds Dolphin position coaches Eric Studesville and George Godsey will be considered as well (Twitter link).

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott also emerged on Miami’s radar, but veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) the college assistant has opted against making a move to the pros at this time. The Titans also reached out to Elliott about their OC job, which Arthur Smith may well vacate soon given his interview frequency thus far, but Dabo Swinney‘s top offensive assistant will stay put in South Carolina.

Of this group, only Hamilton and Godsey have been NFL OCs previously. Hamilton spent three years in that role, serving as Colts OC from 2013-15. Godsey became the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach during the season, Wolfe tweets. He served as Bill O’Brien‘s OC in Houston from 2015-16 but has been a position coach since. Hamilton is coming off a notable year, with Justin Herbert developing from a player expected to sit behind Tyrod Taylor for a while into an Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

McDaniel has worked with Kyle Shanahan with multiple teams; the 49ers assistant also popped up on the radar during the Browns’ most recent HC search. Studesville has been with the Dolphins in each of Brian Flores‘ two seasons at the helm. He served as Broncos interim HC in 2010 and was retained by multiple Denver HCs to stay on as running backs coach, a title he currently holds in Miami.

Canada spent more than two decades as a college coach before making the move to the Steelers last year. From 2003-18, Canada served as offensive coordinator at eight colleges — including LSU, Wisconsin and Maryland.

Eagles To Interview Robert Saleh

January 13th, 2021 at 9:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Eagles are a bit behind the curve after their late firing of Doug Pederson, so they don’t have any time to waste as they move forward in their unexpected coaching search. We’ve already heard they’re interested in luring Lincoln Riley from the college ranks, they’ve requested interviews with Todd Bowles and Arthur Smith, and now we’ve got another candidate on their radar.

Philadelphia has requested an interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. After going through a second Jets interview Wednesday, Saleh is on his way to Philly and will begin interviewing with the team tonight, Ian Rapoport and Peter Schrager of the NFL Network note (Twitter links).

Saleh has been a hot name, getting linked to pretty much every open job. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie indicated at his press conference Monday that he usually prefers a quarterback guru as head coach, but he clearly isn’t married to that idea.

To that end, we also have some additional details on what a potential Saleh coaching staff would look like, via this tweet from Peter Schrager of NFL Network. Schrager writes that the belief around the league is that Saleh would bring a 49ers offensive assistant with him to be his OC wherever he goes, and that they would seek to implement a “Shanahan”-style offense.

That would mean a heavy run and play-action scheme. Schrager specifically highlights Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel as names to watch on that front. McDaniel is the 49ers’ run game coordinator who has coached under Kyle Shanahan for most of the past decade, while LaFleur is the passing game coordinator who has been with Shanahan since 2014 with the Browns when he was an offensive intern. He’s also the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

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