NFC Coaching Notes: Rams, Hankerson, Lions, Commanders, Packers, Giants
University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen has received heaps of interest around the football world, turning down several college jobs and an NFL job to stay in Lexington. But it sounds as if Coen may soon receive an offer he can’t refuse.
In one year at the helm of the offense, Coen took the Wildcats from 115th in yards per game to 50th. He also improved the scoring offense from 107th in the country to 35th, quickly making him one of the hottest names in college coaching.
It just about looked like Kentucky was going to be able to hold on to their game changer, but, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they are bracing for the possibility of Coen leaving to return to the Rams in Los Angeles. Prior to his year in Kentucky, Coen spent three years on Sean McVay‘s offensive staff, and a chance to rejoin McVay may be too good to pass up.
Here are a couple more coaching notes from the NFC starting with the promotion of a former Hurricane:
- With wide receivers coach Wes Welker heading to Miami, the 49ers have offered the position to offensive quality control coach Leonard Hankerson, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. After a five-year career as an NFL wide receiver out of the University of Miami, Hankerson coached wide receivers at UMass and Stephen F. Austin before joining the staff in San Francisco last year.
- The Lions have parted ways with inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone this week, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. The son of offensive line coach legend George DeLeone, Mark was hired by Detroit last year after time with the Jets, Chiefs, and Bears. They have two internal candidates who could potentially fill the role: defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas, who coached inside linebackers in his time at Princeton, and director of football research David Corrao who coached linebackers for the Dolphins during his time in Miami from 2008-2015.
- With longtime assistant coach Pete Hoener retiring, the Commanders are hiring veteran coach Juan Castillo to handle tight ends, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Castillo is rejoining Ron Rivera, who coached with him for the five seasons Rivera was in Philadelphia from 1999-2003. Castillo has also spent time with the Ravens, Bills, and Bears in various roles on the offensive staff.
- With their outside linebacker coach Mike Smith leaving to pursue other opportunities, the Packers have hired Jason Rebrovich as his replacement. The 20-year NFL coaching veteran has had stints with the Bills and Jaguars coaching players like Josh Allen, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue. In addition, the Packers also announced the return of former offensive coordinator Tom Clements to replace Luke Getsy as quarterbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Clements coached for the Packers’ offense for 11 years before retiring after two years with the Cardinals.
- The Giants have hired Angela Baker as a minority coaching fellow and offensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Baker is the second female to be added to Brian Daboll‘s staff after Laura Young followed Daboll from Buffalo, where she worked as player services coordinator, for the position of director of coaching operations. The Giants are quickly trying to become a more progressive staff. In 2020, Hannah Burnett was hired as the team’s first full-time female scout.
49ers Seeking Day 2 Pick In Jimmy Garoppolo Trade?
Of the starter-caliber quarterbacks linked to trades, Jimmy Garoppolo has the clearest path to being moved. Garoppolo and John Lynch have discussed a trade, and the passer would prefer to be dealt to a team with a shot at near-future contention.
The 49ers acquired Garoppolo for a second-round pick, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com offers the team is aiming for a Day 2 choice and an additional asset in a deal for its four-plus-year starter. The team would not necessarily need the Day 2 choice to be in this year’s draft, per Wagoner. The Jets’ haul for Sam Darnold comes to mind, with the Panthers sending over their 2022 second-rounder in last year’s swap that also included fourth- and sixth-round choices.
[RELATED: Who Will Acquire Garoppolo From 49ers?]
The quarterback market not producing fireworks would stand to help the 49ers, who could drive a harder bargain if Garoppolo turns out to be the top QB available or one of the top two — in the event Deshaun Watson is finally moved. This might not end up being the case, with several passers mentioned as trade candidates, but the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson staying put would increase Garoppolo’s value.
While Garoppolo’s contract contained a no-trade clause, it expired after the 2021 trade deadline. The 49ers are free to send Garoppolo anywhere they choose, though it sounds like the team is willing to work with him. Teams like the Steelers, Commanders, Buccaneers, Broncos and Panthers could be in play as well. Carolina and Washington make the most sense as suitors, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Neither figures to be in play for Rodgers or Wilson. If those two are not available, and the Vikings hold firm on keeping Kirk Cousins, the Broncos would probably be more likely to entertain a Garoppolo swap.
Quarterbacks who have fetched a second-day draft choice in recent years include Darnold, Josh Rosen, Teddy Bridgewater (his Jets-to-Saints 2018 deal) and, of course, Garoppolo, whom the 49ers acquired for a second-rounder at the 2017 deadline. The 49ers may use the Chiefs’ 2018 Alex Smith trade as a comp, given the similar situations. The Chiefs were ready to hand the keys to Patrick Mahomes, and Smith signed an extension with Washington after being dealt for a third-rounder and Kendall Fuller.
Garoppolo’s injuries will limit San Francisco’s trade return to a degree, but he did take the 49ers to two NFC championship games after seasons in which he ranked in the top 15 in QBR (13th in both 2019 and 2021). While the ex-Patriots draftee has seen his play frequently maligned, he will have value as a trade chip. Garoppolo’s contract includes a $24.2MM salary in 2022, presumably prompting the team that acquires him to authorize another extension. The extension the 30-year-old QB signed in 2018 runs through 2022.
49ers Promote To Fill TEs Coach Gig
- The 49ers are promoting offensive quality control coach Brian Fleury to their tight ends coach spot, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes. Fleury, who will replace new Dolphins tight ends coach Jon Embree in this role, has been with the 49ers for three seasons.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson
You didn’t really think that there wouldn’t be any Tom Brady “un-retirement” stories, did you? Less than two weeks after the legendary passer confirmed he would be hanging up the cleats, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report that the Buccaneers are leaving the door open to a Brady return, and that Brady himself is not ruling out the possibility.
Brady, 44, when discussing the prospect of playing in 2022 on his own podcast six days ago, said, “[y]ou never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
It’s understandable that any retired player, let alone a player who has enjoyed the type of career that Brady has, would start to feel the itch to return to the field as summer draws to a close and the nation starts to turn its attention to Week 1 of the NFL season. Even assuming Brady gets that itch, however, Pelissero and Rapoport hear from sources close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion that chances of a return are “remote.” Still, the Bucs are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back for his age-45 season, and they have made that clear to him.
Florio, in the same piece linked above, speculates that Brady’s retirement announcement could be his way of engineering a graceful exit from Tampa. After all, although the team was able to retain all of its starters from its Super Bowl LV run, tough decisions were always going to have to be made in 2022. As we recently pointed out, nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup in 2021 is eligible for free agency in March, and even without that contingent on the payroll, the club is projected to be barely $5MM under the cap. It could be that Brady realizes his chances of playing through his age-45 campaign — as he had long indicated he planned to do — and still going out on top with an eighth Super Bowl ring would be better elsewhere.
Indeed, no matter how badly the Bucs may want him back, they are going to have to turn their attention to other options at some point. Pelissero and Rapoport write that Tampa Bay is doing “extensive homework” on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson and are expected to explore a trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The team has also been connected to 49ers signal-caller (and former Brady protégé) Jimmy Garoppolo. If/when the Bucs make a move to replace Brady with a starting-caliber passer, it will obviously be impractical for them to keep Brady rostered.
At present, the Bucs have not made a roster move with respect to Brady and are projected to carry a $32MM dead money charge for him in 2022 if they move him off the roster. If they designate him a post-June 1 release, they could push $24MM of that total to 2023, and if they place him on the reserve/retired list after June 1, they would be able to accomplish the same thing while still retaining his 2022 rights should he decide he wants to keep playing but for another team. Or, as Florio adds in a separate piece, the team could just keep him on the roster all year, which would result in a $10.545MM cap charge — just $2.545MM more than what the post-June 1 2022 dead money charge would be — and which would allow him to return to the team at any time should he so choose. Presumably, that option would only be in play if Tampa Bay does not replace Brady with a high-level starter.
Interestingly, Florio posits that if Brady does want to play for another club in 2022, that club would be his hometown Niners. Brady reportedly wanted to play for San Francisco before signing with the Bucs two years ago, and with the 49ers boasting a roster that came up just shy of a Super Bowl appearance this year, it stands to reason that HC Kyle Shanahan would be willing to delay the Trey Lance era for one more season if it means giving Brady a chance to get that roster to the promised land. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times agrees that Brady’s preferred destination, should all of this speculation coalesce into something more concrete, would be San Francisco (Twitter link).
AFC Coaching Notes: Colts, Bills, Jaguars, Ravens
Since Frank Reich was able to land defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to replace Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus, Bradley has begun the process of putting his staff together. Today Bradley added longtime defensive backs coach Ron Milus to coach his secondary, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Milus first started coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Washington, about eight years after playing cornerback there. He held the college position for seven years before getting an NFL coaching opportunity in 2000. Since then, Milus hasn’t spent a season out of work with stints in Denver, Arizona, New York (Giants), St. Louis, Carolina, San Diego, and Las Vegas. His longest stint was with the Chargers, spending eight years in southern California and transitioning with the team to Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that Milus was retained when Bradley joined the Chargers’ staff. He followed Bradley to Las Vegas and will join him once more in Indianapolis.
Here are a few other coaching notes from around the AFC starting with another bit from the Hoosier State:
- In addition to Milus, Mike Chappell of Fox59 reports that Indianapolis is also in the process of hiring linebackers coach Richard Smith, who worked with Bradley and Milus in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Smith has coached in the NFL since he debuted for the Houston Oilers in 1988 coaching special teams and tight ends. He found his niche as a linebackers coach in 1997 for the 49ers and has had three short stints as a defensive coordinator in Miami, Houston, and Atlanta.
- ESPN’s Yates also tweeted out a report that the Bills have added former QB Kyle Shurmur on staff in a defensive quality control position. After four years at Vanderbilt, Shurmur signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs, spending time on their practice squad as well as on the Bengals’ and Washington’s practice squads. He was released by Washington a little over a month ago and that appears to mark the end of his playing career. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his father, Pat Shurmur, and joining the coaching track.
- A castaway from the Matt Nagy Bears’ staff, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey will not be without work for long as Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports reports that Shuey is joining Doug Pederson‘s staff in Jacksonville in the same role. Shuey and Pederson had two separate tenures together in Philadelphia.
- Pederson also made a crucial move of retaining running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tells us that keeping Parmalee was a priority for Pederson, especially due to his strong relationship with star running back James Robinson.
- Baltimore has hired Rob Leonard as outside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter). Leonard will replace Drew Wilkins who left to join Brian Daboll‘s staff in New York. Leonard spent the past three seasons in the same position with the Dolphins. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds that former Michigan analyst Ryan Osborn will follow Mike Macdonald to the Ravens for a quality control position. Osborn is credited with having a role in the development of Wolverines’ EDGE players like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
Dolphins To Hire Jon Embree As Assistant Head Coach
It appears the first addition to Mike McDaniel‘s staff in Miami will be a familiar face. Miami is hiring Jon Embree under the twin roles of assistant head coach and tight ends coach, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
[Related: Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As Head Coach]
Embree has been an NFL coach dating back to 2006. He is most well known for coaching tight ends, the role he served in Kansas City, Washington, Cleveland and Tampa Bay prior to joining San Francisco in 2017. There, he not only coached the unit featuring George Kittle, but also worked alongside McDaniel, who was hired by the Dolphins earlier this week. Embree also had the assistant head coach title he will be retaining in Miami.
The success Kittle has had under Embree’s tutelage has garnered the 56-year-old plenty of praise around the league. That translated to interest from the Broncos, who interviewed him to be their TEs coach prior to this hire.
It surprised many that Embree was even available to leave the Bay Area to begin with. His contact expired at the end of the season, and he declined to take a significant pay cut to remain with the 49ers. Instead, San Francisco hired ex-Chargers’ HC Anthony Lynn to serve as assistant head coach. As Branch notes, the 49ers have yet to hire a new TEs coach.
Position Coaching Notes: Giants, Broncos, Jaguars
As the days go by, more and more position coaches are finalizing jobs with new teams. One of the busiest clubs remains the Giants. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is hiring former Vikings assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson as its defensive line coach (Twitter link). The 61-year-old has a wealth of coaching experience at the NCAA and NFL ranks. While he has a defensive background, Patterson also served as a head coach at two stops along the way to the pro level.
His first NFL coaching gig came in 1997 with the Patriots. After stints with the Vikings, Cowboys, Browns and Broncos, he returned to the college ranks. Following seven additional seasons, six of which were spread across three colleges, he came back to Minnesota in 2014. He remained there until now, serving as the team’s d-line coach, but also holding the co-DC title for the past two campaigns.
Here are some other updates to Brian Daboll‘s new staff, along with those of the Broncos and Jaguars:
- According to Jonathan Alexander of The Observer, Tony Sparano Jr. is making a lateral move from the Panthers to the Giants as their new assistant offensive line coach (Twitter link). The 35-year old already has a decade of coaching experience in the NFL spent with five different teams.
- One hire the Giants won’t be making is that of Adam Henry for the role of wide receivers coach. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the team will be heading “in another direction” after they interviewed Henry earlier. The 49-year old coached the position at LSU for three years, then at the NFL level with the 49ers, Giants, Browns and Cowboys. Many felt a reunion in East Rutherford was likely, but that won’t be the case.
- As for the Broncos, they will be adding to their defensive staff from the college ranks. ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweets that Ola Adams is coming aboard as an assistant secondary coach. Adams spent spent seven seasons at Villanova, and his success there earned him a promotion to co-defensive coordinator at Temple recently. Now, he will be on the move again, but this time up to the NFL level.
- Finally, the Jaguars are hiring Brentson Buckner as their d-line coach (Twitter link via Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson). It had been reported earlier this week that the 50-year-old was a candidate for the position, so the move is not a surprising one. Buckner has coached the position with three NFL teams previously, dating back to 2013.
2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker
Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.
Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:
Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)
Chicago Bears
- Dennis Allen, defensive coordinator (Saints): Interview canceled
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/22
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Conducted second interview 1/25
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/16
- Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator (Colts): Hired
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/14
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/15; hired by Broncos
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interviewed 1/12
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): To conduct second interview 1/26; remaining in Dallas
Denver Broncos
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/20
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/19
- Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/13
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Hired
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Interviewed 1/19
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/18
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Finalist
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Finalist
Houston Texans
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Conducted second interview 1/31; finalist
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Conducted second interview 1/29; finalist; Informed by Texans he won’t be hired
- Joe Lombardi, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/15
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Mentioned as candidate
- Josh McCown, longtime NFL QB: Conducted second interview 1/28; finalist; considered out of running?
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview 1/31; expected to be hired by Vikings
- Lovie Smith, defensive coordinator/associate head coach (Texans): Hired
- Hines Ward, wide receivers coach (Florida Atlantic): Interviewed 1/15
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Rich Bisaccia, former interim head coach (Raiders): Interviewed 1/31
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/3
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed 1/4
- Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator (Colts): Completed second interview 1/20; hired by Bears
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Conducted second interview 1/27; hired by Broncos
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/25; expected to bow out?
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/7
- Bill O’Brien, former head coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/13
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Team wants to interview; interview delayed
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Hired
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Declined early interview; remaining in Dallas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Rich Bisaccia, interim head coach (Raiders): Interviewed 1/19
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/28
- Jim Harbaugh, former head coach (49ers): Mentioned as candidate; early frontrunner?
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Interviewed 1/25
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Hired
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview expected
Miami Dolphins
- Thomas Brown, running backs coach/assistant head coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Second interview expected; viewed as favorite?; hired by Giants
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/16
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/21
- Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator (49ers): Hired
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Conducted second interview 2/5
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/20; remaining in Dallas
Minnesota Vikings
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): Conducted second interview 2/1
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16; hired by Broncos
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Interviewed 2/2; to stay at Michigan
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview 1/31
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): To be hired
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19; remaining in Dallas
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23; declined second interview
New Orleans Saints
- Dennis Allen, defensive coordinator (Saints): Hired
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 2/6
- Pete Carmichael, offensive coordinator (Saints): Declined interview request
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 2/1
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 2/2
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested; granted permission
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interviewed 1/30; hired by Jaguars
- Darren Rizzi, special teams coordinator (Saints): Interviewed 2/3
New York Giants
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/23
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Hired
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/27
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/28
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/26
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/24; remaining in Dallas
Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As Head Coach
The Dolphins have announced that they’ve agreed to terms to make 49ers’ offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel their next head coach (Twitter).
McDaniel recently had his second interview with Miami on Friday. Fox Sports Writer Peter Schrager reported that the interview lasted for 10 hours.
McDaniel was one of two candidates to receive a second interview with the Dolphins as Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore interviewed yesterday. With Moore not getting the job, it looks like Dallas will keep both coordinators as Moore has not been mentioned as a contender for the Saints’ or Texans’ jobs and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has informed teams that he is remaining in Dallas.
McDaniel is a longtime Kyle Shanahan-staffer, following Shanahan from Atlanta to San Francisco. Following Mike LaFleur‘s departure to join Robert Saleh on the Jets, McDaniel was promoted to offensive coordinator.
The 2021 NFL season was McDaniel’s first and only year as an offensive coordinator at any level. He first entered the NFL as an intern for the Broncos in 2004. He spent three years as an offensive assistant in Houston before taking the position of running backs coach for Sacramento’s short-lived UFL team. McDaniel re-entered the NFL ranks an an offensive assistant in Washington for two years before getting promoted to wide receivers coach. He spent one season in that position in Washington followed by a season holding the same position in Cleveland before heading to Atlanta to become an offensive assistant under Shanahan.
The 38-year-old’s rise has been meteoric since joining Shanahan. After two years in Atlanta, McDaniel became Shanahan’s run game coordinator in San Francisco for four seasons before finally getting his shot last year at offensive coordinator. McDaniel didn’t call plays for the 49ers, but he did draw up the running plays and coordinate a running game that ranked in the top-10 despite losing Raheem Mostert in Week 1 and missing Elijah Mitchell for 6 games this year.
With Brian Flores‘ lawsuit against the NFL, Dolphins, Giants, and Broncos alleging racial discrimination, much attention will likely be paid to the fact that McDaniel identifies as multiracial, making him the first minority coaching candidate to be hired in this year’s cycle. The 49ers will receive two third-round compensatory picks as a result of the hire.
With Miami securing their man, there are now only two teams remaining who are without a head coach: the Texans and Saints. Keep up with the last remaining coaching searches on our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.