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Coaching Rumors: Bucs, McDaniel, Morris, Bolts, Eagles, Vikings, Jags, Commanders

By | at January 20, 2026 3:00 pm

Mike McDaniel is still on the HC carousel, meeting with the Raiders on Monday and set for a second Browns interview Wednesday. He has landed on a few teams’ OC radars, including the Lions, Chargers, Eagles, Titans and Buccaneers. The Tampa gig could appeal given Todd Bowles‘ hot-seat status. The prospect of McDaniel joining the Bucs with an arrow toward succeeding Bowles is on the radar, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Bucs have promoted from within twice in the Jason Licht GM era, elevating OC Dirk Koetter and then giving Bowles the job after Bruce Arians‘ mid-offseason retirement in 2022. Bowles survived a collapse this season, firing OC Josh Grizzard. It would be interesting to see if he would hire an OC who could be in line to replace him down the line.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • If the Chargers lose Jesse Minter to one of the remaining HC jobs, Jim Harbaugh may well look to promote from within. Defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale has a “very good chance” of being Minter’s DC successor, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes. Harbaugh confirmed internal staffers would be considered if Minter leaves. This would add up considering Clinkscale’s past. He worked as Michigan’s DBs coach in 2021 before being the Wolverines’ co-DC alongside Minter from 2022-23. While Minter received the DC opportunity in Los Angeles, Clinkscale came along with Harbaugh in 2024. The Chargers would need to comply with the Rooney Rule, of course, meaning one external minority would need to be interviewed before this rumored promotion becomes final.
  • Raheem Morris has interviewed for the Cardinals, Giants and Titans’ HC jobs. With New York and Tennessee moving in different directions, Morris is down to either Arizona or the coordinator level. The two-time HC not receiving a third opportunity at a top job could lead to a TV future, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Morris has come up as a possible Commanders DC option, and other teams would surely consider the former Rams coordinator. But he could be joining Mike Tomlin in the media soon.
  • Although Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman are the point men in the Eagles‘ offensive coordinator search, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes both Jeffery Lurie and his son have been sitting in on interviews. Julian Lurie has recently been named to a position within the organization, being listed as a business and football strategy staffer. Via PFR’s Coordinator Search Tracker, Philly has some big names on its radar.
  • The Vikings are moving on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper, with ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert indicating the four-year Minnesota staffer’s contract expired. Minnesota will be looking for a new O-line coach for the first time in the Kevin O’Connell era. This was Kuper’s first crack as a top O-line coach, having been an assistant OL coach with the Broncos and Dolphins previously. Kuper, 43, was an eight-year Broncos O-lineman from 2006-13.
  • Jaguars assistant O-line coach Keli’i Kekuewa is taking over as Stanford’s O-line coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Kekeuwa spent one season in Jacksonville; he will follow ex-Commanders staffer Tavita Pritchard to Palo Alto. Offensive assistant Trevor Mendleson should receive consideration to replace him, per the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran.
  • Pritchard’s old job as Commanders QBs coach went to D.J. Williams; Washington has since named Danny Etling as its assistant QBs coach, Zenitz adds. A Patriots seventh-round pick in 2018, Etling bounced around the NFL before being cut by the Packers in August 2023. He spent the 2024 season with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers. This will be the ex-LSU QB’s first coaching job. Etling, 31, was a college teammate of new Commanders OC David Blough at Purdue before transferring.
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Ravens Expected To Conduct Second HC Interview With Jesse Minter

By | at January 20, 2026 10:42 am

The Ravens spoke with 16 candidates during the first round of their ongoing HC search. A much shorter list of finalists is now emerging.

[RELATED: HC Search Tracker]

Baltimore will conduct an in-person interview with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver today. It became known yesterday that a follow-up with Bills OC Joe Brady is being planned for later this week. A third name to watch on that front is Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

The Ravens are expected to conduct a second interview with Minter this week, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports. The parties met virtually last Wednesday, with Baltimore among the many teams showing interest in Minter’s case. Both the Browns and Raiders have arranged an in-person interview with Minter. The Ravens certainly have competition for one of the top candidates still on the market.

To little surprise, three of the four head coaching hires made so far in the 2026 cycle have seen ex-HCs receive a second opportunity. John Harbaugh – whom the Ravens fired after his 18th season with the team – along with Kevin Stefanski and Robert Saleh have found new homes. Jeff Hafley was not among the interviewees in Baltimore’s case, so the fact he is now in place with the Dolphins should have no impact on the team’s search.

Minter has loomed as one of the most sought-after coaches in the 2026 cycle, especially amongst those with a defensive background. The 42-year-old has enjoyed success as a DC at both the college and NFL levels. Minter also has ties to the Ravens, having worked from 2017-20 as part of their staff. For eight of the past nine years, Minter has worked under either John or Jim Harbaugh.

Minter is free to speak with the Ravens and other teams at any time. NFL rules mean staffers on the teams set to play in the conference title games cannot do so this week, however. That is significant in Baltimore’s case given the team’s links to candidates such as Chris Shula and Nate Scheelhaase (Rams), Klint Kubiak (Seahawks) as well as Davis Webb, Vance Joseph and – most recently – Darren Rizzi (Broncos).

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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at January 20, 2026 9:00 am

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 1-25-26 (4:10pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens 

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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Chargers Interview Drew Terrell For OC

By | at January 19, 2026 8:07 pm

The Chargers continue their search for a new offensive coordinator, and they’re now turning to an unexpected spot to potentially fill the role. The team announced this evening that they completed an interview with Cardinals passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Drew Terrell.

The former Stanford wideout started his NFL coaching career with the Panthers in 2018. He made a name for himself during his three-year stint in Washington, where he served as a receivers coach. During his time with the organization, he oversaw Terry McLaurin‘s development into a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout, and he was also at the helm for one of Curtis Samuel‘s most productive campaigns.

He lost out on the Cardinals offensive coordinator job in 2023 but ended up still joining the organization as their passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. While Marvin Harrison hasn’t truly broken out under the coach’s tutelage, Terrell did squeeze out an unexpected 1,000-yard campaign from Michael Wilson in 2025. Of course, Trey McBride has also emerged as one of the league’s premier pass-catching TEs while Terrell has served as the passing game coordinator.

While Terrell would appear to be a somewhat random addition to the Chargers’ OC search, he does have some connection to Jim Harbaugh. Terrell worked under the coach while working as a graduate assistant on Michigan’s staff.

Greg Roman was canned as the Chargers offensive coordinator following a low-score outing in the team’s playoff loss to the Patriots. Harbaugh has generally been targeting veteran coaches for the role, with the likes of Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, Arthur Smith, Marcus Brady, Shane Day, and Brian Callahan interviewing for the gig.

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Raiders To Conduct Second HC Interviews With Jesse Minter, Jeff Hafley

By | at January 19, 2026 11:36 am

The coming days will be critical in shaping the Raiders‘ head coaching search. The list of candidates to line up a second interview with the team has grown.

Mike McDaniel is set to conduct an in-person interview with Vegas today. The same will be true tomorrow for Ejiro Evero. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, both Jesse Minter and Jeff Hafley have arranged a Raiders follow-up. Minter’s interview will take place tomorrow, while Hafley’s is set for Wednesday.

Throughout the hiring cycle, both defensive coordinators have loomed as strong HC candidates. Minter has been with the Chargers for the past two years, while Hafley has led the Packers’ defense for the same duration. Their respective stocks have risen over that span.

Minter had experience as a defensive coordinator at three different college programs before he followed Jim Harbaugh from Michigan to Los Angeles. His success at the NFL level produced an interview request from each of the first nine teams around the NFL to have a HC opening. Minter, 42, is set to line up a second interview with the Browns and further interest could be coming soon.

Prior to his Packers stint, Hafley spent four years as the head coach at Boston College. He has worked as a position coach and D-coordinator at both the college and NFL levels, so taking charge of a team in the pros would represent a logical next step. The 46-year-old led Green Bay to a strong finish in total and scoring defense in 2024, and his unit enjoyed a productive start to the 2025 campaign before it was hit hard by injuries. In recent days, Hafley has been mentioned as a potential frontrunner for the Dolphins’ vacancy.

Questions have been raised about how attractive the Raiders’ opening is compared to others around the league. Indeed, it was learned over the weekend that Kevin Stefanski withdrew from Vegas’ search not long after conducting an initial interview with the team. Buffalo’s decision to fire Sean McDermott means there are eight vacancies at the moment. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders manage to land one of the top candidates still on the market.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for Vegas:

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Chargers Request Interview Arthur Smith For OC Job; Davis Webb On Radar

By | at January 18, 2026 8:46 pm

The Chargers submitted an interview request for Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Smith, 43, has been in Pittsburgh for the last two years. The team has informed all of the assistant coaches on Mike Tomlin‘s staff that they are free to pursue opportunities elsewhere, leaving no obstacle between Smith and a lateral move to another offensive coordinator job.

The Chargers are the fourth team to express interest in hiring Smith in recent weeks. The Cardinals and the Titans have already interviewed Smith for their head coaching vacancies, and the Lions put in a request to interview him for their offensive coordinator gig.

Smith came up as an offensive assistant in Tennessee and took over as their offensive coordinator in 2019. He parlayed two successful seasons into a head coaching job with the Falcons, but his offenses in Atlanta and Pittsburgh never ranked higher than 15th in points or yards. Smith’s lack of consistent quarterback play is a mitigating factor, but he still got a high level of play out of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee. Smith could not do much with Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder in Atlanta and struggled to find consistency with Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Justin Herbert would be the best quarterback with whom Smith has worked by far, but he will have to make his case for his ability to elevate the star quarterback and the Chargers offense in general.

The Chargers are also keeping Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb on their radar, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The fast-rising coach interviewed for the Ravens’ and Raiders’ head coaching jobs and could garner interest from other teams as a potential offensive coordinator.

Webb is facing a seemingly gargantuan task this week getting Jarrett Stidham ready for the AFC Championship Game against a Patriots defense that savaged C.J. Stroud in the divisional round. Even a semi-successful game from Stidham would speak volumes about Webb’s coaching ability and could raise his profile as a candidate for other jobs around the league.

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Browns Arranging Second HC Interview With Jesse Minter

By | at January 18, 2026 3:27 pm

Internal and external candidates have emerged as serious targets for the Browns as their head coaching search continues. The list of outside staffers firmly on the team’s radar continues to grow.

Arrangements are being made for Cleveland to conduct a second interview with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The sides spoke on Friday, confirming Cleveland’s status as one of Minter’s numerous suitors. Each of the nine teams in the process of making a head coaching change have reached out to the up-and-coming staffer at least once.

This nevertheless represents the first instance in which a follow-up interview has been arranged in Minter’s case. It will be interesting to see if that changes over the coming days as every team except the Giants and Falcons ramps up its HC search. With the Chargers no longer in the postseason, Minter is free to speak remotely or in person with interested teams at any time. This Browns summit will be face-to-face, Rapoport notes to no surprise.

A three-time defensive coordinator at the college level, Minter, 42, won a national championship at Michigan in 2023. He then followed Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, taking on his current role with the Bolts. Los Angeles has boasted one of the league’s top defenses under Minter, finishing top-10 in points allowed during each of his two years in place. The team has particularly enjoyed strong play against the pass.

The Browns finished just 5-12 this season, but defensive shortcomings were not to blame. Cleveland ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed under Jim Schwartz, and retaining him remains a high priority for the team while Kevin Stefanski‘s replacement is sought out. Schwartz is a strong candidate to be promoted to head coach at this point, but Minter is one of several external options the Browns will attempt to meet with for a second time.

Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for the Browns:

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Chargers To Conduct OC Interview With Brian Daboll

By | at January 17, 2026 7:30 pm

Brian Daboll remains one of the top names to watch on multiple coaching fronts. The ex-Giants HC has now been linked to another coordinator opening around the NFL.

Daboll will interview with the Chargers for their offensive coordinator position, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Throughout the early stages of this year’s hiring cycle, an OC hire has loomed as a distinct possibility. Daboll was linked earlier this month to Raiders interest, and he is believed to be among the top targets for the Eagles in that capacity.

Yesterday, Daboll interviewed with the Titans for their head coaching vacancy. He is not among Tennessee’s initial batch of finalists, but that could change in the coming days as the team continues to seek ex-head coaches for the 2026 season. In any case, this latest update on the Daboll front comes as little surprise. Prior to his expected Giants dismissal, Daboll’s stock was boosted by a strong OC run.

That included a successful stint with the Bills and prior coordinator experience in Cleveland, Miami and Kansas City. Aside from a surprising trip to the divisional round of the postseason during his first season as a head coach, Daboll was unable to meet expectations during his time in New York. Still, a play-calling gig with one of the teams looking for a change on the sidelines would allow him to return to a familiar role moving forward.

The Chargers had Greg Roman as their offensive coordinator during the first two years of Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure with the team. Things did not go according to plan during Los Angeles’ back-to-back losses in the wild-card round in particular, however. Questions were raised in the wake of last week’s low-scoring loss about Roman’s job security, and on Tuesday he was fired. 2026 will thus mark the first season in which Harbaugh serves as an NFL head coach without Roman as his OC.

Since Roman’s firing, the Bolts have spoken with pass-game coordinator Marcus Brady, quarterbacks coach Shane Day and former Titans head coach Brian Callahan for their offensive coordinator opening. A meeting with former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel – who like Daboll is a candidate for head coaching and OC openings – has also been arranged.

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Chargers To Interview Mike McDaniel For OC Position

By | at January 16, 2026 10:46 pm

Since he was fired by the Dolphins just over a week ago, Mike McDaniel has been offered a litany of opportunities to move on in some form or fashion. Some teams (Titans, Falcons, Browns, and Ravens) have expressed interest in him as a potential head coach again, while some teams (Lions, Eagles, and Buccaneers) still have head coaches in place and are interested in him returning to a potential offensive coordinator job. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Chargers can be added to the latter group of teams as they are set to interview McDaniel to potentially replace Greg Roman.

It’s been a busy week for McDaniel. Following his dismissal in Miami, he kicked off his week with his head coaching interviews with Atlanta and Cleveland. On Tuesday, he interviewed with the Lions for their offensive coordinator job, following that up with head coaching interviews with Tennessee on Wednesday and Baltimore on Thursday. Today, McDaniel returned to the coordinator interest, interviewing with Tampa Bay. Nothing’s been announced as scheduled for McDaniel this weekend, so perhaps he’s just enjoying a couple days off, but Rapoport expects his interview with Los Angeles to take place “early next week.”

Since firing Roman, the Chargers have looked at a number of names to fill his shoes. They first looked internally, granting an interview to passing game coordinator Marcus Brady of Montreal Alouettes fame. He has arrayed experience with both young and veteran talent, and his familiarity with Herbert could be a strong place to start with the likely journey to a new offensive scheme. Their second internal candidate was quarterbacks coach Shane Day. Day held the passing game coordinator title for two seasons in 2021-22 but was fired after the team blew a 27-point lead in Herbert’s first playoff game. He returned this year, much to the joy of the team’s star quarterback.

Mostly recently, the team interviewed former Titans head coach Brian Callahan for the open position. Callahan’s experience with young quarterbacks is a bit of a mixed bag. He helped kickstart what has been a strong start to Joe Burrow‘s career in Cincinnati, but in Tennessee, he struggled to get much out of offenses led by Will Levis and Cam Ward. In an attempt to save his job this year, he ceded play-calling duties after an 0-3 start to the Titans’ season, but he was relieved of his head coaching duties, too, after only three more games.

McDaniel only had one season of coordinator experience with the 49ers, and he didn’t call plays as the OC, but he was the Dolphins’ primary play-caller throughout his four-year run with the team. His arrival in Miami seemed to unlock Tua Tagovailoa in his third season as the offense improved from 25th in total yards and 22nd in scoring to sixth in total yards and 11th in scoring in McDaniel’s first year with the team. In Year 2, the Dolphins led the league in total yards and finished as the second highest-scoring offense. Injuries would limit the team over his last two seasons in Miami, but it’s clear why McDaniel is such a respected name in offensive coaching circles.

Pairing McDaniel with Herbert, young running back Omarion Hampton, a versatile receiving corps, and eventually, two extremely talented, recovered offensive tackles could make for a dangerous unit. In order to land him, though, the Dolphins will need to hope the right head coaching opportunities don’t come his way and that he’ll prefer to work for them. There’s a long way to go in this process but bringing McDaniel in certainly makes the team’s OC search more interesting.

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Chargers Interview Brian Callahan For OC

By | at January 16, 2026 2:27 pm

Brian Callahan now appears on two teams’ offensive coordinator radars. The recently fired Titans coach discussed the Buccaneers’ play-calling position this week, and the Chargers came next.

The Bolts announced Callahan’s interview Friday. Callahan spent five years as the Bengals’ OC, a period that will help his cause more than the Titans HC tenure — one that ended after just 23 games.

This marks the first known external candidate for the Bolts’ OC post. The team previously interviewed pass-game coordinator Marcus Brady and QBs coach Shane Day for the role Greg Roman‘s firing vacated. Callahan, 41, has been an NFL staffer since 2010. He worked for the Broncos, Lions and Raiders before receiving the chance to work under Zac Taylor as Cincinnati’s OC.

Neither of Taylor’s top coordinators received too much HC consideration for years, which represented a bit of a surprise considering Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI appearance and berth in the following year’s AFC championship game. While Lou Anarumo called the shots on defense, Callahan served as a non-play-calling OC. Issues with play-calling and game management doomed him in Tennessee.

Prior to being canned 23 games into his tenure, Callahan handed the play sheet to QBs coach Bo Hardegree. When Callahan was fired, the Titans’ offense ranked 31st in the NFL. Granted, Tennessee only improved to 30th after Mike McCoy‘s interim stay. And the Chargers will gauge Callahan’s readiness. In Los Angeles, Jim Harbaugh serves as a CEO head coach. His Roman successor would call plays for a Justin Herbert-quarterbacked offense. That presents a strong draw, and bigger-name candidates — particularly as the HC carousel sorts itself out — figure to emerge soon.

Harbaugh employed Roman throughout his time in San Francisco and for two years in L.A., but the Chargers’ increasingly run-centric offense lost both its starting tackles — Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater — and then sputtered in a wild-card loss to the Patriots. Callahan impressed in his Bucs interview, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It will be interesting to see if he advances far in this search and/or comes up in other OC searches yet to form.

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