Buccaneers to interview sought-after candidate Mike McDaniel for OC opening

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ready for their fifth offensive coordinator in five years, and after firing in-house promotion Josh Grizzard at the end of this season, they could be ready for a big splash at offensive coordinator.

That candidate could be former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who was fired by the Dolphins during the offseason after initially believing he was set to stay aboard. Now, he's been interviewing for head coach jobs and offensive coordinator jobs, and he's set to speak with the Buccaneers on Friday for their own vacant OC opening after the Bucs previously interviewed former Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken on Wednesday, per FOX Sports' Greg Auman.

Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will interview for the Bucs’ OC job Friday. He would consider a great OC opportunity better than a not-great head coaching vacancy.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 14, 2026

It's unknown just how much McDaniel wants the job (beyond a few hints), but it would be a huge hire if the Buccaneers could land him.

Buccaneers interviewing Mike McDaniel for OC job on Friday

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs off the field following a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

McDaniel, coming from the Kyle Shanahan tree in San Francisco, is perhaps the best run-game schemer in the NFL. That's something that the Bucs struggled with in 2025, and it's something Todd Bowles will want to improve this coming year. His pass-game concepts are nothing to scoff at, though, and his frequent use of at-snap motion and unique personnel groupings has given him the reputation as one of the NFL's most forward-thinking minds.

McDaniel is decently familiar with Tampa Bay. He came to One Buccaneer place last year for a joint training camp, so he knows the facility, and he also beat the Buccaneers in 2025 in Week 17, so he's seen their roster up close, too. The Bucs will have to offer enough to make McDaniel want an OC job there instead of another head coaching job somewhere else, but McDaniel agreeing to interview is a good sign, at least.

The Bucs have recently gone with inexperienced, young coordinators in hopes of tapping into their ceiling, and they were successful with that when it came to Dave Canales and Liam Coen. They weren't, though, when it came to Grizzard, and so the Bucs may turn to an experienced option with years of playcalling under their belt — McDaniel would fit that profile perfectly.

Time will tell who Tampa Bay will hire, but if they like McDaniel, they'd best try to land him fast — he's a wanted man during this HC/OC hiring cycle.

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