The Las Vegas Raiders are in the thick of finding the franchise's next head coach. General manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady are heading up that search, and the duo appears to be casting a wide net and not tipping their hand about what kind of candidate they covet most.
Candidates like Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Davis Webb or Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are the preference of the fan base, simply because they want an offensive mind to work with a presumed quarterback taken with the No. 1 pick.
Pairing a rookie signal-caller with a bright offensive innovator is critical for the development of a young player. But the Raiders can achieve this by hiring an offensive coordinator who fits this mold, and they may not need to pigeonhole themselves as much in the head coach search as a result.
Raiders should hire recently-fired Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel as next OC
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel following a 7-10 campaign on Thursday. McDaniel has a winning record as a head coach, finishing 35-33 in his four-year stint with the Dolphins. He made two playoff appearances but did not win a postseason game.
McDaniel is sure to garner some attention as a head coach candidate this offseason, given that the league now has eight head coach vacancies. However, McDaniel could use a bit more seasoning as a leader and may take a coordinator role under one of the NFL's veteran coaches in an attempt to grow.
Las Vegas should absolutely be kicking the tires on McDaniel as an offensive coordinator candidate, as his creativity and innovation make him a holy grail as a play-caller. Obviously, the Raiders don't even know who their head coach is, but pairing him with McDaniel would be a wise choice.
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This becomes especially true if Las Vegas goes the defensive route at head coach with a candidate like the Broncos' Vance Joseph, the 49ers' Robert Saleh, or the Minnesota Vikings' Brian Flores. The Raiders would then need a creative offensive mind, and McDaniel is absolutely that.
Disciples of the Shanahan and McVay coaching trees tend to have success in this league, and McDaniel has been tied to these coaching legends since 2005, when he started as an intern. He has also worked under great leaders like Gary Kubiak and Dan Quinn.
Forcing a marriage between McDaniel and the Raiders' next head coach may not be ideal, but there is certainly an argument to pair him up with whoever Las Vegas brings in. McDaniel is a bold play-caller and a winning head coach, so he would be an absolute dream offensive coordinator under whoever.