It’s odd, to say the least, that a head-coaching candidate affirmatively withdraws from consideration after interviewing for the job. That’s what former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has done in Cleveland.
McDaniel interviewed for the job on January 12. He opted not to submit to a second interview, which had been scheduled for Wednesday.
The report provided no reason. One potential explanation is that McDaniel didn’t believe he’d get the job. Another potential explanation is that he didn’t want it. Which, if accurate, would be a smart move; taking a rebound job with a team that has a habit of firing coaches could result in the second chance not lasting job, while also becoming the coach’s last opportunity.
There’s another possibility. McDaniel remains under consideration for both the Raiders’ and Ravens’ head-coaching jobs. Maybe he believes he’ll be getting one of those two positions.
Regardless, McDaniel is far better off taking an offensive coordinator position with a good team than becoming the head coach of a perennially bad one. For every team, the goal is to hire a coach who has options. And it’s possible that McDaniel has decided he has better options than putting himself in line to be the next coach fired by the Browns.