The Browns lost a head coaching candidate on Tuesday, but they also completed a second interview with another one.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken joined Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as candidates who have had multiple meetings with the team. The interview came on the same day that Mike McDaniel dropped out of consideration for the job in order to become the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
Monken is also believed to be the top candidate to be the Giants’ offensive coordinator. He was on John Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore for the last three seasons, so the fit would be an obvious one if he does not land the job in Cleveland.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski are also scheduled to interview with the Browns this week. Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase is also on the second interview list, but cannot meet with the team before the NFC Championship Game.
Well, now we know why Mike McDaniel passed on a second interview for the Browns’ head-coaching job.
Via multiple reports, McDaniel will become the new offensive coordinator of the Chargers.
It gives McDaniel a chance to partner with coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert. And it gives McDaniel an opportunity to author the kind of performance that sets him up to potentially become an A-list candidate in 2027.
McDaniel coached the Dolphins for four seasons, with a record of 35-33 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs.
He had drawn head-coaching interest, and it’s apparently possible he could still pivot to a bigger job. As noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, no deal has been signed. He remains in play for the top jobs with the Ravens and Raiders.
For now, however, McDaniel is on track to partner with Jim Harbaugh. Both are quirky. Both are unique. And we can only hope that the Chargers will be the focal point of Hard Knocks in August.
It’s odd, to say the least, that a head-coaching candidate affirmatively withdraws from consideration after interviewing for the job. That’s what former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has done in Cleveland.
McDaniel interviewed for the job on January 12. He opted not to submit to a second interview, which had been scheduled for Wednesday.
The report provided no reason. One potential explanation is that McDaniel didn’t believe he’d get the job. Another potential explanation is that he didn’t want it. Which, if accurate, would be a smart move; taking a rebound job with a team that has a habit of firing coaches could result in the second chance not lasting job, while also becoming the coach’s last opportunity.
There’s another possibility. McDaniel remains under consideration for both the Raiders’ and Ravens’ head-coaching jobs. Maybe he believes he’ll be getting one of those two positions.
Regardless, McDaniel is far better off taking an offensive coordinator position with a good team than becoming the head coach of a perennially bad one. For every team, the goal is to hire a coach who has options. And it’s possible that McDaniel has decided he has better options than putting himself in line to be the next coach fired by the Browns.
Special teams coordinator Chris Horton won’t be going from Baltimore to New Jersey with John Harbaugh.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that the Ravens are blocking Horton from interviewing for lateral moves. Garafolo said the team is expected to do the same for a handful of other coaches as they work to find their next head coach.
Horton has been running the special teams units for the Ravens since 2019. He was the team’s assistant special teams coach from 2014-2018.
Garafolo mentions assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine and senior special teams coach Randy Brown as others who could stick with the team through their coaching change.
It looks like Mike McDaniel will not be the next head coach in Cleveland.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that McDaniel informed the team that he is withdrawing from their head coaching search. McDaniel interviewed with the team earlier this month and was slated to meet with them a second time on Wednesday.
McDaniel has also interviewed with the Raiders, Ravens, Falcons, and Titans since being fired by the Dolphins after Week 18. The Falcons and Titans have found their new head coaches, so McDaniel will not be landing either of those jobs.
There has also been offensive coordinator interest in McDaniel from teams like the Chargers and Buccaneers. Teams with new coaches could join them as they begin to fill out their coaching staffs, so there are still a lot of potential landing spots for McDaniel as the coaching carousel continues to turn.
The Browns had a second interview with their own defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase also remain in the mix in Cleveland.
