In an article for NBC Sports, Mike Florio divulged that a source with knowledge of the situation informed him that Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t received requests to be interviewed by any of the eight teams currently looking for a new head coach. This development has surprised the Patriots, but they expect the situation to change soon. 
McDaniels is a long time Patriots’ staffer, first joining the organization in 2001 as a personnel assistant. After a year, McDaniels worked with the team as a defensive assistant for two years before switching to the offensive side of the coaching staff. After one season as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator, developing the Patriots’ offense into the juggernaut that broke several NFL records in the 2007 season. His coaching success led to much speculation that he could be a top candidate for head coaching jobs, but he pulled his name out of the ring before the Patriots even finished their playoff run.
When McDaniels was able to lead a Patriots team quarterbacked by Matt Cassel to an 11-5 record, following a season-ending injury to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season, the Broncos saw fit to name McDaniels as their new head coach for the 2009 NFL season. McDaniels’s tenure in Denver started with a six-game win-streak before losing eight of the next ten games to finish the season 8-8. After a 3-9 start to the 2010 season, and multiple controversies from his handling of difficult players, Denver decided they’d seen enough and fired McDaniels after Week 13. McDaniels spent a year as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, under Steve Spagnuolo, before returning to New England following Spagnuolo’s firing.
McDaniels has stayed in Foxborough ever since. He’s continued to draw head coaching interest here and there, even accepting the head coach position for the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2018 before backing out of his commitment on the same day to stay in New England, prompting his long-time agent, Bob LaMonte, to sever ties with McDaniels.
McDaniels’s handling and development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones has led to some speculation that one of the two teams that have both 1) a head coaching vacancy and 2) a young quarterback might show immediate interest in the 45-year old coordinator. Can Bill Polian overlook his lack of a good relationship with McDaniels and advise that the Bears bring him in to mentor Justin Fields? Will McDaniels decide that he can handle working for Trent Baalke and agree to take Trevor Lawrence under his wing? Keep track of McDaniels and other candidates in our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.
At this point why would you interview him? He’s BB tree, didnt do great with Denver, backed out of the Cincy job, and has failed to get another job after numerous interviews.
It was the Indy job he backed out of, but otherwise well-stated
My bad, slight slip there. Sound a little too similar I guess.
Alternate theory…
No one wants the one trick snake in the grass.
Some coaches can only coach in certain situations……
I’m only surprised that New England is apparently surprised. Flipping on Indy was a bad look, and there is way too much hype around the BB coaching tree.
I don’t really see where he’s done anything with Mac Jones, either. He came out as a high floor/low ceiling QB you could plug and play, and they kept the training wheels on him. They had a good season and it was probably the right strategy, but I don’t think figuring that out makes one a QB guru.
I’m basically with you re: Jones. NE surrounded him with players and a scheme that let him manage games, and he did. For all we know, he’s the next Matt Cassel.
I don’t think the Indy thing has any bearing anymore. McD was getting interviews last off season, and this off season has just begun. I’m sure he’ll get some requests but ultimately remain in NE
Failed in Denver – Bailed in Indy. Not head coach material…
Cleveland interviewed him and he’s a local guy but they went with Stefanski instead. He’s definitely lost some shine
Well, it’s like he’s a previously failed head coach who backed out of his second chance at the last second, leaving his hired staff out to dry…
What hired staff?
McDaniels hired a bunch of coaches to come to Indy that had to find new jobs when went back on the contract. Three of them stayed-including Eberflus-because Ballard didn’t want to fire them after McDaniels pulled out, and they worked with Reich. One was Dave DeGugliemo, who was hired and then fired by Joe Judge afterward for getting mad at Judge for overruling him while coaching the offensive line.
No he didn’t. He wasn’t even the coach for 1 day
Um, yes he did. He had accepted the job, and began hiring coaches. Eberflus was not hired by Reich, he was hired by McDaniels. Several others were as well. Ballard offered to keep the three who had ALREADY SHOWED UP to work for the Colts, thinking that they were going to work for McDaniels. He backed out, and the Colts hired Reich. Look it up, it’s all out there.
Interesting info
Not surprising the guy is a COMPLETE FLAKE who set Denver back, dropped the Colts at the alter and his offense has been rather bland since 12 left. Most respectable teams wouldn’t go near him.
You’d have to be a fool to hire him as a head coach because he will never get the respect of his players. Aaron Rodgers just said that head coaches need respect more than anything and X’s and O’s aren’t that important (that’s what your coordinators are for) McDaniel has never played the game at an NFL level, he has a reputation of battling with players, and he’s promised to take a job, only to bail on that job last minute. Nothing there that most NFL players respect. One reason why so many HC candidates are ex-players is they command a certain amount of respect coming in and it’s an easier start, whereas a bookish never player has to earn every ounce of the players respect because they don’t have any coming in like an ex pro does.
I think he’s waiting for BB to retire but he might coach another 5 years.