The Cleveland Browns' list of candidates to replace Kevin Stefanski got a new addition on Thursday, after another head coach was fired
The Cleveland Browns are expected to add another name to their list of potential head coach candidates.
On Thursday, the Miami Dolphins became the eighth team to fire its head coach this cycle, parting ways with Mike McDaniel after four seasons at the helm. According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, McDaniel is supposedly on the Browns radar in their quest to find Kevin Stefanski's successor.
Cleveland does have some familiarity with McDaniel, who is considered one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. The 42-year-old previously served as a wide receiver coach for the Browns in 2014, under then-head coach Mike Pettine and then offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
He would ultimately follow Shanahan to the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent two years, before Shanahan was hired as the San Francisco 49ers head coach in 2017. McDaniel was the run game coordinator for four years, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021. His success under Shanahan in San Francisco paved the way for him to earn the Dolphins job in 2022.
Despite his short stint in Cleveland, team brass remains enamored with McDaniel's offensive prowess, especially coming from Shanahan's coaching tree.
In his first two years in Miami, McDaniel brought the Dolphins offense to new heights. That unit ranked top 10 in total EPA (36.93) in 2022, and top five with an EPA of 88.99 in 2023. The latter season included one of the most lopsided scores in NFL history, with Miami beating Denver 70-20 in Week 3.
The Dolphins' offense, however, took a bit of a step back in each of the last two seasons. Still, in the midst of a 1-6 campaign that included a loss to the Browns this past fall, McDaniel found a way to keep the team competing hard.
Miami won five of its next six games, and ultimately finished the season 7-10. The early struggles did cost GM Chris Greier his job, leaving plenty of speculation over whether or not McDaniel would also be relieved of his duties.
While he survived the season, the strong finish wasn't enough to convince owner Stephen Ross to retain him for a fifth. His dismissal could end up being a blessing for the Browns, if they eventually identity McDaniels as their next head coach.
At the very least, it sounds like he's expected to be in the mix for the role.