The Baltimore Ravens have one primary target as they interview their next head coach: someone who can capitalize on their two-time MVP Lamar Jackson’s prime. And so, with at least 16 interviews predicted, they have announced one of the league’s most innovative offensive minds as their next name on the list.

“We have completed an interview with Mike McDaniel for our head coach position,” the Ravens’ official account announced through an X post on January 15.

The head coach entered this season with his future in Miami hanging by a thread as he failed to return to the playoff berth in 2024. Consequently, after the team wrapped up a 7-10 season and missed a playoff spot again, the Fins fired Mike McDaniel on January 8. However, with Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s health, not all the blame falls on the 42-year-old.

In the last four years, while he was Miami’s HC, he had a 35-33 regular-season record. As such, he emerged as a candidate for several head-coaching jobs and offensive coordinator roles in the NFL. With the Ravens already having a franchise quarterback in place who has shown results when healthy, McDaniel’s offensive strategies might work in Baltimore. He does have a lot to offer the franchise.

The 42-year-old coach’s NFL coaching career began in 2011 with the Washington Commanders as a coaching staff member alongside Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, and Sean McVay. Then, after years as a wide receivers coach and offensive assistant, McDaniel became the San Francisco 49ers’ run game coordinator in 2017. He held that position for four seasons before earning a promotion to become the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in 2021. Here is how he impacted the teams:

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• Following an underwhelming 2020 season, Mike McDaniel helped breathe life back into San Francisco’s offense. From 2019 to 2020, the 49ers averaged 131.1 rushing yards per game, sixth-best in the NFL
• Entering Miami in 2022, McDaniel quickly installed a motion-heavy system that simplified reads for Tagovailoa
• He also helped fully unleash receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
• In his first season as HC, the Dolphins snapped a five-year playoff drought by finishing 9-8 and earning a Wild Card spot
• In 2023, the Dolphins then improved to 11-6 and returned to the playoffs again
• Miami’s offense jumped from sixth overall in McDaniel’s first year as HC to No. 1 in total offense and passing offense in 2023

At that point, it looked like McDaniel had cracked the code in Miami, but he could not sustain the success.

In 2025, the Dolphins opened with a 1-6 record, then rallied to win five of their next six games to revive their playoff hopes, only to stumble again. The Dolphins went 1-3 down the stretch to finish with a 7-10 record. That collapse ultimately led the franchise to move on from McDaniel.

Still, many around the league once viewed Mike McDaniel as one of the brightest young offensive minds. The lingering thought is whether Tagovailoa’s uneven development dimmed McDaniel’s reputation more than it should have. From Baltimore’s perspective, the bigger question is obvious: can McDaniel design an offense that elevates their franchise QB, Lamar Jackson, from MVP-level star to Super Bowl champion?

The Ravens’ need for an offensive spark is undeniable, especially after the unit slipped from No. 1 in the NFL down to 16th in 2025. In that light, Mike McDaniel might look like the right kind of swing to get things back on track in Baltimore. But it won’t be an easy task for the former Miami head coach to land on the AFC North team.

The Ravens are flying through interviews

Already, the team has interviewed the likes of Davis Webb, Vance Joseph, Klint Kubiak, Jesse Minter, Jim Schwartz, Brian Flores, Anthony Weaver, Kliff Kingsbury, Matt Nagy, and Kevin Stefanski. Moreover, three days ago, Ravens executive Eric Decosta clarified why they were interviewing as many names in the industry with a simple message.

“We want the best leader we can find. We want somebody who’s an expert in X’s and O’s, and we want somebody who the players can relate to, but also somebody that’s going to be firm and continue the culture we’ve built.”

According to owner Steve Bisciotti, he will only be present in the room with the final four or five candidates in the room after already knowing what his handful of trusted people already love about them. He also clarified that he doesn’t blame John Harbaugh completely for failing in their quest for the Super Bowl.

At the same time, Mike McDaniel has a handful of interviews lined up for himself. Eight teams fired their head coaches, including the Dolphins, after the end of the 2025 season. Of those, McDaniel has set dates with the Browns, Falcons, and Titans as well. He has previously worked in Cleveland and Atlanta. Additionally, McDaniel is scheduled to meet with the Lions for their open offensive coordinator position.

Meanwhile, after 18 seasons in Baltimore, John Harbaugh has already turned the page with an NFC East team.

John Harbaugh accepts the head coaching job in New York 

Baltimore’s mediocre past season can’t be pinned entirely on Lamar Jackson’s injuries, as several of John Harbaugh’s in-game decisions drew criticism. And when the Ravens failed to return to the playoffs, change felt inevitable at the helm. Still, considering his résumé – a Super Bowl title, a 13-11 playoff record, and six division titles – it wasn’t really a surprise that Harbaugh landed a coaching job almost immediately after leaving Baltimore.

Earlier this week, Harbaugh announced that instead of interviewing every team that called his agent, he would pick a few names he would be interested in. The Giants were already leading the race. And on January 15, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed the news.

He reported that John Harbaugh and the New York Giants are close to finalizing a deal that would make him the franchise’s next HC and one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL. Harbaugh had no shortage of suitors, but he visited New York first on January 14, and the potential that he saw in the franchise’s rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart, reportedly sold him on a future with the team.

From the Giants’ perspective, they aren’t just hiring experience with John Harbaugh; they’re expecting that his track record with QBs will help develop Dart. Harbaugh won a Super Bowl with a traditional pocket passer like Joe Flacco.

Later, he also reshaped Baltimore’s offense around Lamar Jackson and helped turn him into a two-time MVP. But there’s also a front-office ripple effect as Harbaugh’s arrival could quietly buy more time for Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen.

The Giants have struggled after Schoen took over as GM in 2022. The team had a 22-45-1 overall record with HC Brian Daboll, which pushed them to fire him in the middle of the 2025 season. Many expected Schoen to follow Daboll out the door, but that didn’t happen. In that sense, hiring Harbaugh feels like a final, high-stakes swing from Schoen for the GM position. Harbaugh is expected to sign a five-year deal and begin a new chapter in New York.