Dawgs By Nature
The NFL rules for teams during their head coaching search process have allowed John Harbaugh to delay his interview process, and have seen the Cleveland Browns add a coach to their process almost daily. So far, the Browns have:
Cleveland is far from finished in the process, with the rules requiring multiple in-person interviews with minority candidates and a lot of limits for what coaches still in the playoffs can do. Wild Card weekend could add more candidates and competition for the Browns, with four coaches considered possibilities to be fired if they lose.
Cleveland is also reportedly interested in interviewing former Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel this week:
That report has since been confirmed by multiple sources.
McDaniel spent four years in Miami with a combined 35-33 record with two playoff appearances. A very creative offensive mind, McDaniel’s squads have not always been the most disciplined, but the Dolphins often had a very explosive offense despite Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations.
The Browns have some familiarity with McDaniel, as he was their wide receivers coach back in 2014 under HC Mike Pettine and OC Kyle Shanahan. According to Mike Silver, it was McDaniel who helped Shanahan write up his PowerPoint presentation about why he should be allowed to leave Cleveland after just one season:
McDaniel followed Shanahan to Atlanta, then San Francisco, before getting the top job with Miami.
It would be interesting to find out if owner Jimmy Haslam and GM Andrew Berry ask McDaniel about his involvement with Shanahan’s departure. Given that McDaniel is known to have multiple head coach interview options and almost certainty about getting an offensive coordinator position, interviewing with the Browns after his previous experience could speak well of what the former Dolphins coach thinks of the organization.
What do you think about McDaniel as a candidate for the Browns? Did you know about his role in Shanahan’s departure?
Share your McDaniel thoughts in our comment section below
