Could we see changes to the 49ers coaching staff?
Adam Beasley, formerly of the Miami Herald and now covering the Miami Dolphins at Pro Football Network, believes 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has emerged as the top candidate for the Dolphins head coaching vacancy. Per Beasley, Miami hopes to have their new head coach hired by the end of the week:
There were widespread rumors over the weekend that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has emerged as a late candidate. But our understanding, based on conversations with multiple league sources and fairly obvious contextual clues, is that McDaniel is the focus of the team’s search now that Brian Daboll is unavailable.
McDaniel, 38, could be hired at any time. Had the 49ers beaten the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, he would have been unavailable until after the Super Bowl. But with San Francisco’s loss on Sunday, there’s nothing stopping the Dolphins from offering McDaniel the job — and him accepting it — this week.
McDaniel has a second interview scheduled with the Dolphins Monday. He met with them prior to the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. McDaniel is one of seven known candidates for the job.
If Daboll was the leading candidate, and you want to turn your offense around, McDaniel seems like a perfect hire. McDaniel has orchestrated the most innovative running game in the NFL. The numbers may not support it, but the 49ers have the best running game in the NFL.
Everything they’ve done is predicated on the running game. The Dolphins running game was non-existent. In a copycat league, the pairing makes sense.
Let’s assume McDaniel is hired. First off, the 49ers would receive multiple third-round picks as McDaniel is a minority. Second, he’s never called plays, so I’m curious if McDaniel would serve as Miami’s offensive coordinator.
If not, he’s sure to bring one or multiple coaches from the 49ers staff with him. The league allows you to bring at least one assistant coach from the staff you’re leaving with you.
The Dolphins reportedly are comfortable with retaining their defensive staff, so McDaniel wouldn’t take anybody from the 49ers with him in that regard.
We’ll continue to update as more information comes in. If this report is true, it’d be the second year in a row the 49ers lost a coordinator to a head coaching job elsewhere.