One Pick To Thrive, Flop & Surprise From The New Offensive Coordinator Hires

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We saw an abnormally large number of new coordinators this cycle, but every year some big hires hit and others flounder, while some lesser-known names come to surprise fans across the sport. I’ve chosen my top candidate for each fate among this crop of offensive coordinators. A few months back, I graded all of the new offensive and defensive coordinator hires (that were official at the time). Now, I’m going to take a closer look at three of the offensive coordinators hired this cycle and do a deep dive into their styles, tendencies and prospects. What are their histories? What schemes do they run? How likely are they to succeed in their new positions? Let’s dive in: Thrive: Chargers OC Mike McDaniel This was one of my favorite hires of the entire offseason. A former Shanahan disciple, McDaniel got a shot at being a head coach in Miami back in 2022. His offenses took the league by storm, creating new and innovative ways of keeping defensive coordinators up at night and running roughshod through some of the NFL’s most feared units. He made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, but never won a playoff game and bottomed out in 2025, leading to his dismissal. McDaniel’s alleged shortcomings as a head coach aside, his offensive prowess never waned. Name a schematic advantage offenses can create: McDaniel is at the forefront . Motion, tempo, play action, etc. He doesn’t discriminate and is always pushing the limits of what league rules will allow him to do. Perhaps most famously, McDaniel began using so-called “cheat motions” to maximize play speed at the snap. League rules prohibit players from moving towards the line of scrimmage at the snap, so he found a way around that rule to create a massive advantage. A few years ago, the Dolphins began sending players in lateral motion before turning upfield at full speed right as the ball was snapped, blowing past coverage defenders who had to try to keep up from a standstill. It took the league by storm and by the end of the season, other savvy offensive playcallers had begun using it too. It’s a copycat league, after all, and other playcallers were looking to McDaniel for inspiration as the Dolphins put up ridiculous performances week after week. Chargers QB Justin Herbert is by far the most talented quarterback McDaniel will have called plays for in his career. McDaniel created successful offenses with Miami’s poor offensive line and now gets one of the best tackle duos in the league (if they stay healthy). No one in Los Angeles is Tyreek Hill , but he’s not lacking in playmakers, either. All the pieces are in place for the Chargers and McDaniel has proven himself time and again as one of the most creative and devastating offensive coordinators in the league. Don’t be surprised if Los Angeles comes out of the gate swinging like the Dolphins did early in McDaniel’s tenure. Flop: Giants OC Matt Nagy I still can’t square what a bizarre hire this was for new Giants HC John Harbaugh . Freshly fired by the Ravens and landing probably the most coveted job in the league, he hired Nagy, the former Bears head man and Chiefs playcaller. Even though Nagy’s stint in Chicago didn’t end well, he was scooped right back up by Andy Reid in Kansas City for his second run as offensive coordinator. However, the Chiefs elected to let his contract expire at the conclusion of the 2025 season. The official messaging was that it was to allow Nagy to explore career growth opportunities, interviewing for head coach…