Raiders To Interview Mike McDaniel For HC Job; Ejiro Evero Lands Second Interview
The Raiders have lined up a head coaching interview with Mike McDaniel, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The former Dolphins head coach will meet with the Raiders in Miami on Monday.
The Raiders will also hold an in-person interview with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero next week, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Evero, who has already met with the Raiders virtually, is the first candidate to set up a second interview with the club.
McDaniel has been a hot commodity across the league since the Dolphins fired him on Jan. 8. The 42-year-old has already interviewed with the Falcons, Ravens, Browns and Titans.
If McDaniel doesn’t receive a second head coaching chance in 2026, he may spend the season as an offensive coordinator. The Chargers, Lions, Buccaneers and Eagles have all shown interest in McDaniel in an OC role. Other than Philadelphia, all of those teams have booked interviews with McDaniel.
McDaniel, a longtime Kyle Shanahan protege, worked as a non-play-calling O-coordinator in San Francisco in 2021. After McDaniel’s lone season in that position, the Dolphins brought him in to replace Brian Flores. The results over McDaniel’s first two years in South Florida were encouraging. Led by McDaniel’s high-flying offense, the Dolphins combined for a 20-14 regular-season mark and earned back-to-back playoff appearances.
Although the Dolphins didn’t win either of their postseason contests, McDaniel got the most out of Tua Tagovailoa, who quarterbacked the league’s top-ranked offense in 2023. Miami’s offense sputtered in each of the past two seasons, though, and McDaniel benched Tagovailoa for seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers for the team’s final three games in 2025. The Dolphins finished 7-10, their second straight sub-.500 campaign, and elected to move on from McDaniel. He ended his Dolphins tenure 35-33.
If McDaniel winds up in Las Vegas, expectations are he’d work with a second consecutive first-round quarterback. The Raiders, who went 3-14 under one-and-done head coach Pete Carroll in 2025, will pick first in April’s draft. Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning signal-caller, Fernando Mendoza, is the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overall.
Evero, 45, is among the candidates McDaniel will attempt to fend off in the Raiders’ search for Carroll’s replacement. Considering the Raiders are meeting with Evero again, it’s clear he’s a serious contender for the position.
Evero, briefly a safety with the Raiders in 2004, has worked in various coaching roles in the NFL since 2007. He was the Broncos’ D-coordinator in 2022, and though the team struggled during its ill-fated Nathaniel Hackett season, its defense allowed the league’s seventh-fewest points. Then-Panthers head coach Frank Reich hired Evero to run the team’s defense in 2023.
While Carolina’s defense ranked a lackluster 29th in points allowed during Evero’s first season at the controls, it surrendered the fourth-fewest yards that year. The unit plummeted to last-place rankings in both categories in 2024, but it was a much more respectable 15th in scoring and 16th in total defense this season. The Panthers, despite an 8-9 record, won the NFC South. The Rams ended their season with a 34-31 wild-card round win, and multiple teams have shown interest in Evero since then.
Along with the Raiders, the Falcons and Steelers have requested interviews with Evero. Having signed an extension with Carolina before the season, Evero will stay put if a team doesn’t choose him as its next head coach.
Raiders Schedule Interviews With Joe Brady, Klay Kubiak
The Raiders continue to move forward with their first round of head coaching interviews, scheduling time this Sunday for Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. After the team finishes interviewing the Rams’ coordinators today, they will have conducted 10 head coaching interviews, making Brady and Kubiak the 11th and 12th interviewees of their extensive search. 
Brady has been a bit busier than Kubiak so far in this year’s coaching cycle. Including Las Vegas, Brady has been tied to five of the nine open coaching positions since Black Monday, though he hasn’t interviewed anywhere yet. He had been tied to the Giants job that has now gone to John Harbaugh, pending signed agreements, and the Dolphins requested an interview. He has his first interviews also scheduled for Sunday, when he will somehow fit in time with the Falcons and Ravens, in addition to Vegas.
Brady’s rise has been fairly meteoric from his humble beginnings. A Miami-area-native, Brady somehow found himself playing college wide receiver in Virginia at William & Mary, only catching three balls in four years. Following his graduation, he remained with his alma mater to coach the linebackers, staying two seasons before taking up a graduate assistant role for two years at Penn State. Following his time with the Nittany Lions, Brady made his NFL coaching debut as an offensive assistant for the Saints.
After two years in that role, Brady made his way up I-10 to Baton Rouge, where his role as passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach helped Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and the rest of the 2019 LSU Tigers win their first national championship in 12 years. His single-year success with the Tigers led to his first offensive coordinator opportunity at any level when he landed with the Panthers. Though he showed promise early in his first season as a coordinator, landing five head coaching interviews in its wake, regression in Year 2 led a desperate Matt Rhule to fire his offensive coordinator midseason.
Brady rebounded by landing a job as the quarterbacks coach in Buffalo, eventually stepping up into a role as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, following the dismissal of Ken Dorsey. The Brady/Josh Allen offense has proven to be incredibly successful. Last year, a balanced attack helped Allen win his first MVP award. This past season, a middling passing attack was bolstered by the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense. Brady had gotten a bit of head coaching interest after his first year as OC in Buffalo, interviewing with the Bears and Jaguars and planning to interview with the Saints and Jets before they named their head coaching hires.
Kubiak’s rise has been meteoric in its own right. The same year Brady went from playing college ball to coaching it, Kubiak went from English master’s graduate to high school offensive coordinator. He would eventually be promoted to high school head coach, before making his NFL debut — following in the footsteps of his father and two brothers — as a defensive quality control coach for the 49ers in 2021. Since then, Kubiak has gradually worked his way up the ranks in San Francisco, becoming assistant quarterbacks coach the next year, offensive passing game specialist in 2024, and offensive coordinator for this season.
That Kubiak is getting head coaching interest after only his first year of coordinator experience at the NFL-level is impressive, but given the number of candidates in the field, his first offseason in the head coaching cycle is likely to end like Brady’s did. The Steelers were the first team to bring Kubiak’s name into the cycle with an interview request. Nothing has been announced as scheduled for Pittsburgh, though, so unless they get him in before Sunday, Vegas will be hosting Kubiak’s first interview.
Here’s a look at how the Raiders’ search is shaping up so far:
- Joe Brady, offensive coordinator (Bills): To interview 1/18
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interviewed 1/14
- Brian Flores, defensive coordinator (Vikings): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/15
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/8
- Klay Kubiak, offensive coordinator (49ers): To interview 1/18
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/9
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): To interview 1/16
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/14
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass game coordinator (Rams): To interview 1/16
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
- Kevin Stefanski, former head coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
- Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Interviewed 1/7
Dolphins Contact John Harbaugh; Troy Aikman Assisting In HC Search
JANUARY 12: The Dolphins are not seen as a frontrunner for Harbaugh at this time, although Jackson reports further contact between the parties will take place. Whether or not Miami winds up as a finalist remains to be seen, but the team is among Harbaugh’s many suitors as things stands.
JANUARY 10: The Dolphins considered a trade for then-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in 2019. No deal came together, though, and Harbaugh remained in Baltimore for the long haul. Seven years later, the Dolphins are in the market for a head coach again. With Harbaugh a free agent after the Ravens fired him this week, he’s back on Miami’s radar. The Dolphins contacted Harbaugh and informed him of their interest, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Dolphins became the seventh team to reach out to Harbaugh since he lost his job on Tuesday, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. That means every club without a head coach (excluding Baltimore, of course) has contacted Harbaugh. The Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Raiders, Giants and Titans are also in the market.
The Giants, Dolphins, Titans and Falcons look like the most realistic fits for Harbaugh, Breer observes, but interest in the 63-year-old extends beyond clubs with head coach openings. Harbaugh has heard from “at least nine other teams,” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Playoff participants such as Buffalo and Green Bay have come up as potential landing spots for Harbaugh. The Packers, however, seem likely to work out a contract extension with Matt LaFleur. That would rule out Harbaugh joining the Pack.
Harbaugh, who will begin interviewing next week, hasn’t booked anything with the Dolphins yet, Jackson reports. Considering the Harbaugh family has a “longtime relationship” with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wind up as a front-runner for the position. However, a lack of clarity at quarterback could hurt the Dolphins’ cause.
Harbaugh enjoyed remarkable stability under center throughout his 18-year tenure in Baltimore, first with Joe Flacco and then Lamar Jackson. Thanks in large part to an incredible playoff run from Flacco, the Ravens capped off the 2012 season with a Super Bowl victory. The Ravens haven’t won a championship since then, but Jackson has been an elite QB who has twice earned MVP honors since his first full season in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan will have to figure out how to proceed with Tua Tagovailoa. While Tagovailoa is open to a fresh start, he’s owed a guaranteed $54MM in 2026. Releasing Tagovailoa would cost the Dolphins a record $99.2 in dead money, though designating him a post-June 1 cut would enable to spread that total over two seasons. Still, it would be a less-than-ideal situation for Harbaugh or anyone else who may replace the ousted Mike McDaniel as the Dolphins’ next sideline leader.
Miami’s head coach hiring will come with input from Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who will stay on in an advisory role, Jackson relays. The Dolphins first brought the “Monday Night Football” broadcaster in to assist in a GM search that ended with Sullivan’s hiring. The team appreciated Aikman’s “diligence and effort” during the process, per Jackson. The former Cowboy will now have some say over the HC position, though Sullivan and Ross will lead the way.
In the event the Dolphins don’t hire Harbaugh, Jackson identifies Packers coordinators Jeff Hafley (defense) and Adam Stenavich (offense), former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, ex-Packers and Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy and Jaguars D-coordinator Anthony Campanile as names to watch. Sullivan, who spent over two decades in Green Bay, has worked with Hafley, Stenavich and McCarthy. Campanile was Miami’s linebackers coach from 2020-23.
Raiders Request Jesse Minter HC Interview; Giants Interview Slip Expected
Jesse Minter did not receive any interview requests last year, but after the Chargers continued their defensive momentum this season, the two-year NFL DC is flooded with interview slips.
After the Browns, Ravens and Titans sent them in, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Raiders want to meet with Minter as well. The Raiders had been a rumored Minter suitor. Tom Brady and GM John Spytek‘s Michigan pasts certainly make them a team to watch for the former Wolverines national championship-winning DC.
[RELATED: 2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
In addition to the Raiders, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo expects the Giants to submit Minter an interview slip. In a scenario we highlighted back in September, Minter repeating his 2024 defensive success would likely lead to widespread interest and possibly a Los Angeles departure. Though, Minter is among a handful of rising defensive coordinators on this year’s market.
Now that the Chargers have been eliminated, Minter is free to speak with teams about HC vacancies. The Raiders just went defense with their HC position a year ago, hiring Pete Carroll. But Minter would profile as a different type of defensive leader, with the age gap being perhaps the most notable component here.
Minter is 42, whereas Carroll set a record for oldest NFL HC this past season by coaching games at 74. The Raiders chased Ben Johnson last year in hopes he would become their long-term leader. A three-year Carroll contract followed. With Carroll a one-and-done, Minter is now among the names Las Vegas is considering.
The Giants look to have their sights squarely set on John Harbaugh, and recent reports tabbed them as one of the early favorites. Minter would profile as a different option, with Harbaugh 63, but his coaching development has come under the Harbaugh brothers — in Baltimore, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles. Minter would make for an interesting Giants option through this lens. The Giants have not hired a defense-based HC since Tom Coughlin in 2004.
Ravens, Raiders Request HC Interviews With Rams’ Nathan Scheelhaase
After reports emerged early this morning that the Browns had requested to interview Rams pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase, we got news that two other teams followed suit. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Ravens and Raiders have also requested to meet with Scheelhaase about their open head coaching vacancies. 
It’s honestly surprising to see Scheelhaase getting head coaching interest so soon. The 35-year-old coach only entered the NFL ranks of coaching last year and hasn’t even landed an offensive coordinator gig yet at this level. Scheelhaase spent nine years coaching in the NCAA, starting at his alma mater, where he played quarterback for the Fighting Illini. After three seasons in Champaign, Scheelhaase found his way to Iowa State under then-head coach Matt Campbell. He eventually worked his way up to offensive coordinator in Ames, serving in the position for one year before finding his first gig in the NFL.
Scheelhaase has been a fast-rising name for years in the NFL. In fact, before he had even served as offensive coordinator at Iowa State, Scheelhaase interviewed for the same job with the Eagles shortly after getting promoted in 2023. In 2024, he joined Sean McVay‘s staff in Los Angeles as an offensive assistant/passing game specialist, and following his first year in the league, he landed offensive coordinator interviews in Jacksonville and Tampa Bay and was even seen as a favorite for the Jaguars’ position before ultimately announcing that he would stay with the Rams.
Now, though he’s only been an offensive coordinator at the NCAA level and didn’t even call plays in his time with that role at Iowa State, Scheelhaase has seemingly skipped a level, bypassing coordinator jobs to receive interest in potentially becoming a head coach. Including the Browns, all three teams interested in Scheelhaase have more experienced candidates with former head coaching experience and, at the very least, coordinator experience. Both the Raiders and Ravens, though, have had one of their recent head coaches come in without such experience.
When John Harbaugh was hired in Baltimore, he was coming off a year as the Eagles defensive backs coach after having spent the first nine years of his NFL career as the team’s special teams coordinator. While former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce technically started as an interim replacement for Josh McDaniels, Vegas named him their full-time head coach in 2024 despite Pierce only have two seasons of NFL coaching experience as the team’s linebackers coach. Because both franchises have shown a receptive nature towards coaches without heaps of experience, Scheelhaase may have a chance to break through in each team’s race.
Follow along with this year’s head coaching cycle with PFR’s 2026 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker. You’ll be able to follow Scheelhaase’s progress with the three teams who have expressed interest so far and any other teams that may follow. If Scheelhaase is unable to make any real headway on head coaching gigs, he’ll almost certainly be a popular name in the offensive coordinator hiring cycle.
Falcons, Raiders Request To Interview Panthers’ Ejiro Evero For HC
Hours after we learned of his preseason extension, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero received requests to interview for head coach positions with the Raiders (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter) and Falcons (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). Evero has received some head coaching interest in two of the past three offseasons, but this is the first we’ve seen of his name in this year’s cycle.
In 2023, Evero’s defense being a lone bright spot in Denver led to him receiving his first head coaching interest, securing interviews for all five vacancies in Arizona, Carolina, Denver, Houston, and Indianapolis. He conducted second interviews with the Texans and Colts and was even rumored to be a finalist for the Cardinals’ job, but ultimately, he accepted a new defensive coordinator position under Frank Reich in Carolina.
The following coaching cycle, continued defensive coaching success with the Panthers kept Evero’s name in the running for a number of open head coaching jobs. Of the eight vacancies in 2024, Evero interviewed for three of them. All three teams (Falcons, Panthers, and Seahawks) brought him back to conduct a second interview, but once again, he returned to his coordinator gig with the Panthers, this time for new head coach Dave Canales.
After featuring so prominently in the previous two coaching cycles, it was surprising to see the 2025 cycle come and go without hearing Evero’s name. This may have been a result of Evero’s defense in Carolina suffering some lows that we hadn’t seen in the coach’s recent tenure as coordinator. In 2024, the Panthers finished dead last in total defense, scoring defense, and rushing defense while finishing 23rd in pass defense. While not outstanding in 2025, the Panthers defense rebounded strongly and Evero is once again being recognized with head coaching interest.
The Falcons have already interviewed four candidates, splitting philosophies evenly with two offensive-minded candidates and two defensive-minded candidates. The team has requested interviews with three other candidates and, including Evero, all four are defensive-minded. It’s interesting to see Atlanta bring Evero in for an interview. His defense swept the Falcons in the regular season, including a 30-0 shutout in Charlotte.
The Raiders have interviewed five candidates for their head coaching job at this point in time, and all but one were offensive-minded coaches. They also have an interview planned with another offensive-minded candidate, but they’ve put out requests to interview two defensive-minded coaches, in addition to Evero.
Follow along with Pro Football Rumors’ 2026 NFL Head Coaching Tracker to see the latest on each candidate’s prospects and each team’s candidates.
Rams OC Mike LaFleur To Interview This Week With Raiders, Cardinals
While his older brother threatens to make headlines of his own in this year’s coaching cycle, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur deserves his own flowers as he is set to interview this week for head coaching positions with both the Cardinals and Raiders, according to ESPN’s Peter Schrager. It had been rumored in the last few days, but these will be the first head coaching opportunities made available to the 38-year-old coordinator in his young career. 
A former quarterback, LaFleur didn’t see the same level of success as his brother, Matt, playing his college ball at Division-III Elmhurst University. He switched to safety for his final year as a player then became an offensive assistant for his alma mater in his first coaching gig. His next job came at Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana as quarterbacks coach for a year and, eventually, offensive coordinator. He spent a year in 2013 at Davidson as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks & wide receivers coach, his first taste of coordinator duties.
In 2014, LaFleur made his NFL coaching debut as an offensive intern with the Browns. The next year, he followed his brother to Atlanta, serving as an offensive assistant while Matt coached quarterbacks. When Matt earned his first offensive coordinator job in Los Angeles in 2017, Mike found his way to San Francisco where he was awarded the position of passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach. He dropped wide receivers from his duties two years later then, in 2021, followed Robert Saleh from the 49ers to New York to serve below Saleh as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
Despite working with a cast of characters that featured Zach Wilson at quarterback, Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, and Ty Johnson at running back, and Elijah Moore, Corey Davis, Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder, and Braxton Berrios at wide receiver, LaFleur took an offense that had finished last in the NFL in total offense and 31st in passing offense and saw the unit improve to 26th in total offense and 20th in passing offense in his first season. Adding rookies Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, LaFleur’s second year saw the offense finish 25th in total offense and 15th in passing offense.
LaFleur then got the opportunity to follow in his brother’s footsteps as the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2023. He inherited a talented roster that had experienced injuries in 2022 but quickly returned the offense to success with second-year running back Kyren Williams adding a rushing element the team’s newly balanced unit. Wide receiver injuries limited the offense’s effectiveness last year, but LaFleur and the Rams rebounded this year to field the NFL’s top total offense, top scoring offense, top passing offense, and seventh-best rushing offense.
The Raiders are looking to replace Pete Carroll after a one-and-done season with the team. Under Carroll and two different offensive coordinators, Las Vegas finished dead last in the NFL in total offense, scoring offense, and rushing offense while finishing 28th in passing offense. The offense is centered around key young pieces like running back Ashton Jeanty, wide receiver Tre Tucker, and tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, and will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which some assume may be used to draft Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders would be looking for LaFleur to bring an offensive punch to match what was a decent defense this past year, though it may be losing Maxx Crosby in the future.
The Cardinals are replacing Jonathan Gannon after his three years with the team yielded a 15-36 regular season record. Arizona may be looking to make changes at quarterback this offseason, but the offense rosters one of the league’s best tight ends in record-setter Trey McBride and a strong pair of receivers in Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. The team should also return running back James Conner after his 2025 season-ending injury. Unlike the Raiders, it was the Cardinals’ defense that struggled through most of the season and would need to see major improvements under a new coaching staff.
Now that the seal is broken, LaFleur may start getting calls from other openings around the league. The two teams that have contacted him have already interviewed several candidates that LaFleur will need to outshine; not to mention that may become more difficult if his brother joins the fray. For now, LaFleur can look forward to entering new territory as he prepares for his first head coaching interviews.
Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders, Giants Submit Chris Shula Interview Request
A number of defensive staffers are among the top candidates in this year’s head coach hiring cycle. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula is certainly one of them. 
Two interview requests had already been made in his case, but many more have since emerged. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports the Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders and Giants submitted a slip for Shula. That means six of the eight teams which currently have a HC vacancy hope to speak with him.
Both Arizona and Las Vegas had coaches known for their work on the defensive side of the ball until recently. Pete Carroll proved to be a one-and-done staffer upon returning to the NFL. Not long after his firing, Jonathan Gannon‘s three-year tenure with the Cardinals came to an end. Teams often look to coaches with a separate background than their predecessor when making a change on the sidelines, but Vegas and Arizona are casting a wide net.
The Ravens have conducted a large number of interviews already in the aftermath of moving on from John Harbaugh. Baltimore has also requested to speak with three other coaches in addition to Shula, though. Further slips would come as little surprise. The Giants represent one of the top destinations for Harbaugh, but New York has also been connected to a long list of other candidates. That includes several staffers with a defensive background.
The grandson of legendary coach Don Shula, Chris has served as the Rams’ DC for each of the past two years. His success in that role could very well lead to the 39-year-old becoming the latest member of the Sean McVay coaching tree to land an NFL HC gig. Virtual interviews with Shula can take place beginning Tuesday, and several can be expected given the nature of interest in his case.
Raiders, Dolphins Request HC Interview With Jeff Hafley
Jeff Hafley continues to draw notable head coaching interest around the NFL. The Packers‘ defensive coordinator has received another pair of HC interview requests. 
The Raiders and Dolphins have submitted a slip for Hafley, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. That means five of the eight teams with a vacancy have requested an interview in this case. Hafley has already received a request from the Cardinals, Falcons and Titans.
Vegas had not previously been linked to interest on this front, though that had been the case for Miami. Nevertheless, Hafley will be among the busiest candidates in this year’s cycle as he speaks with numerous suitors. Virtual interviews can begin as early as Tuesday. The first in-person summits with interested teams can begin after the divisional round since Green Bay’s season is over.
The nature in which the Packers lost last night represents a notable blemish on Hafley’s resume. Green Bay surrendered 25 points in the fourth quarter as part of the team’s late-game blown lead. That resulted in the Packers’ losing streak extending to five games. Defensive struggles were common during that period, one which took place after Micah Parsons‘ ACL tear.
With Parsons in the lineup, however, Green Bay jumped out to a 9-3-1 start. Hafley’s defense was a key factor in that success. Overall, the Packers finished the season ranked 11th in points allowed despite missing Parsons and others down the stretch. In 2024 – Hafley’s first year with the team – Green Bay ranked No. 6 in scoring defense and fifth in yards allowed. That, coupled with the 46-year-old’s experience as a head coach (at Boston College from 2020-23), has seen him frequently named as one of the top options on the market for this year’s hiring cycle.
The Raiders were among the teams to make a head coaching change on ‘Black Monday’ by dismissing Pete Carroll after just one season in charge. At that point, it appeared as though Mike McDaniel would be safe in Miami. However, he too wound up being fired. Both teams have already begun interviews with some of their HC targets, and they will look to do the same with Hafley.
Raiders To Interview Kevin Stefanski For HC Job
Kevin Stefanski is now on four teams’ interview lists. After making meeting arrangements with the Falcons, Giants and Titans, the ex-Browns HC is on the Raiders’ radar.
Las Vegas brass will meet with Stefanski today, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Stefanski, Vance Joseph and Matt Nagy are meeting with the team today. As PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker displays, Vegas’ Klint Kubiak meeting is scheduled for Friday.
It is certainly not surprising Stefanski demand is this high. This cycle is light on offense-oriented candidates with experience, and Stefanski spent six years coaching the Browns. This tenure brought the most success Cleveland has had since rebooting.
The Browns extended Stefanski in 2024 but fired him Monday following an 8-26 record over the ensuing two seasons — a mark Jimmy Haslam deemed unacceptable this week. Haslam, however, retained GM Andrew Berry despite fingerprints on what is widely viewed as the worst trade in NFL history.
That said, the Browns’ catastrophic Deshaun Watson acquisition brought a line of demarcation during Stefanski’s tenure. The ex-Vikings OC managed to bag two Coach of the Year awards, the second of which coming after the Watson trade. Joe Flacco stepping in and running Stefanski’s offense, despite the Browns missing Nick Chubb and two starting tackles, to make a playoff berth brought only the Browns’ third playoff berth since respawning in 1999. Stefanski was responsible for the second trip as well, re-routing Baker Mayfield‘s career and then having the Browns in a divisional-round duel with a dominant Chiefs team.
Stefanski is just 43 despite having six years’ experience as a head coach. Even with John Harbaugh on the market, it would surprise if Stefanski did not land a second-chance job during this year’s cycle. There are now eight HC vacancies, as the Dolphins have fired Mike McDaniel. He stands to become an intriguing bounce-back candidate, though it is also possible the 42-year-old leader settles as a high-end OC option. Stefanski receiving multiple offers may not be out of the question, and the Raiders’ pattern of HC firings does not make their job overly appealing. Though, the No. 1 pick represents a solid selling point.
The Raiders’ confirmed interviews are mostly on the offensive side so far. Broncos QBs coach and pass-game coordinator Davis Webb joins Nagy, Kubiak and Stefanski in this area of expertise. Thus far, Joseph is the only confirmed interviewee on the defensive side. Teams regularly go in the other direction after a firing, and the Raiders canned two defensive coaches — Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll — over the past two years. Considering Tom Brady‘s push for Ben Johnson in 2025, the Raiders looking toward the offensive side makes sense.