Nearly a week after it was reported that the Los Angeles Chargers were expected to bring in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, the Bolts finally made things official on Monday, announcing the hire by posting a video on their various social media accounts.
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) January 26, 2026
The reason for the delay in the official announcement, of course, was that McDaniel was still in the running for a few of the remaining head-coaching vacancies around the league.
The 42-year-old was scheduled to interview with the Cleveland Browns for a second time last week, but ultimately withdrew his name from consideration for the position before the meeting took place. He was also scheduled to meet with the Buffalo Bills, but decided to ditch that one as well. McDaniel did end up interviewing with the Las Vegas Raiders, but nothing obviously came of it, and here we are.
Naturally, there are concerns for any team hiring a former head coach as a coordinator, as it carries the risk that said coordinator will view the role as more of a short-term stop than a long-term commitment. And that specific concern for Chargers fans has already been confirmed in McDaniel's case.
Mike McDaniel made it perfectly clear that he wants another shot as an NFL head coach
On Tuesday, McDaniel held his introductory press conference, and he made it crystal clear that he has every intention of pursuing another head-coaching job in the future.
"Absolutely, my end goal is to bring championships to an organization as a head coach," McDaniel said.
Again, the Chargers knew what they were getting themselves into when they brought McDaniel to town, so his comments aren't surprising in the slightest. That said, however, the fact that he took himself out of the running for two lead gigs certainly says something about his feelings toward Los Angeles.
And he did, of course, literally say something about his feelings toward Los Angeles at the presser, and his comments should have Bolts fans excited, even if that excitement might last only a single season.
"There was a lot that I found very attractive," McDaniel said. "You know, I was very fortunate to have some opportunities. But I think it started with coach Harbaugh. Then to be a part of an organization that has a legacy, talking about Sid (Gillman) and 'Air Coryell' -- that's super attractive, too. Got a quarterback who I have always admired, and just a lot of young players. Great situation for me and my family to go to the next chapter, which we're very excited about.
"I very much am firmly where my feet are right now, which is being the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and being the very best at that…I’m focused on this."
McDaniel will undoubtedly be up for more big jobs next offseason. But as he says, for now, his focus is on leading the Chargers' offensive attack, and Bolts fans everywhere are excited to see how things play out.