Mike McDaniel's tenure as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins came to an abrupt end Thursday morning, and it was surprising only due to the timing of it. Despite a solid 35-33 record, things were trending in the wrong direction for back-to-back seasons, culminating in a 7-10 record in 2025.
While there are plenty of reasons for Miami's struggles this past season that were out of McDaniel's control, owner Stephen Ross decided it was best to clean house.
Now a free agent, it was expected that McDaniel would garner plenty of interest as an offensive coordinator candidate, with the Detroit Lions reaching out to him just hours after his dismissal. According to a recent report, however, he may be back in the HC saddle much sooner than anyone thought.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Friday that the Tennessee Titans will interview McDaniel next Wednesday for their open HC position.
Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is scheduled to interview for the Titans head coaching job next Wednesday, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 9, 2026
There has been significant interest in McDaniel since Miami fired him Thursday with a 35-33 record and two playoff trips in four seasons. pic.twitter.com/f2Jie7Zg0h
Former Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel set to interview with the Tennessee Titans next Wednesday for their HC job
The Tennessee Titans have suffered a rapid decline over the past four seasons. After three straight playoff appearances from 2019 to 2021, they haven't eclipsed seven wins since. Firing HC Mike Vrabel after two down years now looks like a horrendous decision, as he is now dominating with the Dolphins' AFC East rival New England Patriots (thanks, Titans).
Brian Callahan took over for Vrabel in 2024, but he was fired midseason in 2025 after a 4-19 record through 23 games. Interim HC Mike McCoy didn't fare much better, going 2-9 following Callahan's departure.
Tennessee has been extremely active in its search, with interviews already done or requested with over a dozen candidates. McDaniel is the latest addition to the list, and he may be a real contender for the job for one key reason.
The top priority for the Titans right now should be successfully developing 2025 first-overall pick Cam Ward into a franchise quarterback. Ward struggled as a rookie for the most part, but the flashes of brilliance and obvious physical gifts make him someone coaches will want to work with.
If McDaniel was able to make Tua Tagovailoa look like a franchise QB, albeit briefly, it should be easy for him to convince Tennessee that he could do even more with a talent like Ward. The lack of talent around him would need to be addressed, of course, but that is a must regardless of who the HC is.
Even Dolphins' fans who wanted McDaniel gone have to admit that he has a brilliant mind as an offensive designer; he just couldn't keep up the momentum he had in his first two seasons as an actual playcaller. A fresh start in Tennessee, with a much more talented QB, may be exactly what he needs to be successful in his second stint as the head man.