A former colleague's new head coaching gig might complicate Mike McDaniel's candidacy for Tampa Bay. Could this friendship derail the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator search?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have just gotten some bad news regarding their pursuit of former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
On Monday, the Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh to be their next head coach.
Saleh and McDaniel have been close friends for a long time.
In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers fell one win short of going to the Super Bowl with McDaniel running the offense and Saleh running defense. But their relationship goes far beyond their days in San Francisco. The two worked together with the Houston Texans from 2006-2008, when McDaniel was an offensive assistant and Saleh a defensive quality control coach.
Even with Saleh now the boss in Nashville, it's fair to wonder if taking the Titans' coordinator job would be the best thing for McDaniel's career.
After all, the Titans have gone 6-28 over the past two seasons.
That's a stark contrast from the Philadelphia Eagles, who won last year's Super Bowl, and the Buccaneers, who started the decade with five straight division titles.
Philly and Tampa are thought by many as the two most likely landing spots for McDaniel.
But that was before Tennessee signed Saleh.
Although McDaniel has interviewed for several head coaching vacancies, McDaniel reportedly would rather be an offensive coordinator for a winning team than a head coach for a losing one.
If he goes to the Titans, well, he wouldn't be joining either.
But there are benefits to the Titans' job that go beyond McDaniel's relationship with Saleh. For one, any defensive-minded head coach could be preferable to McDaniel than working with someone focused on the offense, which would happen if he went to Philadelphia and joined Nick Sirianni's staff. If McDaniel works with Saleh or Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles, he would have free rein over the offense.
An advantage that Tennessee has over Tampa Bay is that Titans quarterback Cam Ward will be entering his second season as a pro and was a No. 1 overall draft pick. The Bucs, on the other hand, face a less certain long-term future at the position, with Baker Mayfield's contract expiring after the season.
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