Before we begin I think it’s important to establish my process because this isn’t just a ranking of the talent of the available candidates to replace Greg Roman. Instead, it’s an attempt to combine three important perspectives:
- Who I think Jim Harbaugh is most likely to pursue
- How each candidate fits within his offensive philosophy
- Who makes the most practical sense for the role right now.
We will look at scheme fit, experience in similar systems, and the realistic chances of the hire actually happening. Think of this as a framework for understanding the decision rather than a definitive best-to-worst list. It’s meant to highlight the reasoning behind potential hires:
- Why certain candidates make sense for Harbaugh
- How they could impact the offense
- What factors might tip the scales in their favor
As you work through the list, you’ll see it’s less about absolute rankings and more about the intersection of probability, fit, and context. When these components are combined they tend to represent the nuanced factors that define a smart hire.
The ideal profile
Jim Harbaugh cannot afford to get this wrong with the timeline this team is on. Harbaugh has very few offensive connections left in the NFL which aren’t on the team already. This to me speaks to an outside hire. The team’s resources are slanted towards veterans (Cap Space > Picks) so this is not a hire which can be a slow burn. I’d therefore look for candidates with play calling experience and established connections; this has factored into my assessments.
“We’re going to look for the best one that has a track record, has proven success and can show us his vision for what our offense is going to look like”
Jim Harbaugh on the search for his new Offensive Coordinator
To evaluate potential offensive coordinators, I focused on the areas where Greg Roman’s offenses have often struggled to keep pace with both modern defenses and how modern offensive coordinators are attacking them. Each factor is meant to show not just who could run an offense well, but who could address these specific gaps and elevate the team’s overall performance. These focus areas are:
- Power Run Game Proficiency
- Fluency in Play Action
- Unlocking Star Players
- Modern Passing Concepts
- Game Script Flexibility
- Pressure Answers
- Red Zone Creativity
The Shortlist
Tier 1 – The Likely Choices
1. Brian Daboll, Ex-New York Giants Head Coach and former Buffalo Bills’ Offensive Coordinator
I have already made my case for Brian Daboll to be my first choice in the article below however I think it’s worth adding some further context to explain why it was an easy choice for me. Firstly the other candidates are not even close to as good of a fit as Daboll would be but another component to the ranking order is that each of the other options are high on the consensus list of potential Head Coaches.
2. Kevin Stefanski, Ex-Cleveland Browns Head Coach and former Minnesota Vikings’ Offensive-Coordinator
Kevin Stefanski will likely be announced as another team’s Head Coach in the coming weeks but if he is somehow overlooked, the Chargers should jump on that opportunity. His team’s offensive output last couple of seasons should be ignored in my opinion because I can’t think of a worse quarterback situation than being forced to choose between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillion Gabriel, Shaduer Sanders and Deshaun Watson. With passable QB play on side he has won AP’s NFL Coach of the Year award twice and delivered the Browns their first playoff appearances in both of those seasons.
A video to explain Stefanki’s scheme: https://youtu.be/jOJzt1ury6U?si=P_wbUkIMxnzs7oJh
Kevin Stefanski’s offense is built on an under-center foundation that uses a disciplined run structure to dictate the pass game. He uses wide zone, split flow, and duo to form a coherent early-down identity that consistently feeds into play-action. His passing concepts are tied directly to those run looks, featuring boots, deep crossers, floods, and post-over combinations that stress second-level defenders through sequencing and eye discipline. Stefanski relies heavily on condensed formations and 12 personnel to keep defenses in base looks, simplify coverage identification, and create consistency in how plays are presented snap to snap. Even though his terminology and run emphasis come from the Shanahan/Kubiak lineage, the core principles align with Harbaugh’s in their shared commitment to under-center structure, physical run intent and controlled tempo.
3. Mike McDaniel, Ex-Miami Dolphins’ Head Coach and former San Francisco 49ers’ Offensive Coordinator
First of all let me get in front of the expected feedback to having Mike McDaniel in third; he would be an elite coordinator hire for any team including the Chargers. McDaniel is one of the premier play designers in the league and he has a proven track record of calling offenses that can take the league by storm. However, his fit with a Harbaugh-led team is hard to imagine as they are fundamentally different on almost every level. Their personalities don’t align, their schemes are polar opposites and even the way they teach the game has very little crossover.
I would have full faith in McDaniel to turn the Chargers into an offensive powerhouse, the issue is time. Would they have enough time to assemble a staff, build a playbook, identify free agents, plan for the draft and execute the off-season programme in time for the 2026 season to actually matter? Can they afford to lose half a season to the uptake period and still grow into a contender? I personally don’t think its realistically possible especially given the personality differences between McDaniel and Harbaugh. I’d therefore be very surprised if a risk-adverse organization took that kind of a chance knowing they’d be forgoing their Super Bowl window to do so.
4. Nate Scheelhaase, Los Angeles Rams’ Pass Game Coordinator
The biggest riser in this hiring cycle is clearly Nate Scheelhaase who has suddenly become the hottest young candidate on the market. Scheelaase has been serving as Sean McVay’s play-drawer since he was hired by the Rams in 2024. The ‘Shanahan-tree play-drawer’ role has earned the reputation for being the clearest indicator possible that the assistant serving it will go onto to lead great offenses themselves. Zac Taylor, Liam Coen, Shane Waldron and Zac Robinson have all held this honorable position for McVay which is impressive enough but when you consider the branch above that it’s even more revealing. Mike McDaniel, Kevin O’Connell, Matt LaFleur, Klink Kubiak and Sean McVay himself all performed similar duties for Kyle Shanahan.
“He will be a head coach in two years”
Nate, a former Illinois quarterback who won the Texas Bowl over Baylor in 2010, earned his call-up to this role by coordinating Iowa State’s offense in 2023. At the time his Head Coach, Matt Campbell, was being requested for interview for NFL Head Coach vacancies but the Cyclones’ front office were not worried because they had full faith that Scheelhaase was ready to lead their programme despite him being 33 years old and had not called a single play for himself. So for Nate it seems obvious the future is bright and the league agrees as he has multiple interviews for Head Coach vacancies however, for the Chargers, he is not a great fit schematically and it seems like he’d be a single year rental even if he was successful. Therefore despite his obvious talent, I find it hard to believe he would be high on the Chargers’ rankings.
Tier 2 – Alternative Options
- Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins’ Offensive Coordinator
- Jake Peetz, Seattle Seahawks’ Pass Game Coordinator
Jake Peetz is in the name I keep coming back to here because despite their differences, Peetz has a unique blend of experience in some of the most prolific systems of the modern game. He comes from a modern hybrid background with experience in NFL and collegiate systems. He has coached under Nick Saban (twice), Sean McVay (twice), Mike Macdonald, Matt Rhule and Ed Orgeron. His offense is typically built from shotgun with inside zone, split zone, and quick-game elements forming the connective tissue, and the run game often functions as a complement to the pass structure instead of the organizing principle. Peetz’s passing concepts lean on spacing, route distribution, and defined reads, with play-action and vertical shots present but less central to the overall sequencing of the offense. While his system uses professional concepts and NFL-level structure, it diverges from Harbaugh’s principles in its reliance on shotgun foundations, lighter personnel groupings, and a pass-driven method of establishing offensive rhythm.
- John Morton, Ex-Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator
- Jim Bob Cooter, Indiananoplis Colts’ Offensive Coordinator
Tier 3 – Outside Considerations
- Scott Tolzien, New Orleans Saints’ Pass Game Coordinator
- Drew Terrell, Arizona Cardinals’ Pass Game Coordinator
- Josh Gattis, Syracuse’s Offensive Analyst
Josh Gattis won the Broyles Award (given to the nation’s top assistant coach) in 2021 whilst he was working under Harbaugh at Michigan. That last season was the pinnacle of his tenure as Offensive Coordinator between 2019 and 2021, Gattis’ run-heavy style helped the Wolverines win a Big 10 Championship by smothering defenses with earning 215 yards per game on the ground. Josh went out on his own after those successful seasons, starting with lateral move to Miami to be their play caller but he struggled without Harbaugh’s leadership. This downward trend extended to his stints in Maryland and Syracuse. This would therefore be an outside bet on someone who has failed to create his own success and who has very little sway with NFL free agents but he knows Harbaugh’s offense better than most so there is always a chance he ends up on staff as part of the retooling.
- Ronald Curry, Buffalo Bills’ Quarterbacks Coach
- David Shaw, Detroit Lions’ Pass Game Coordinator
- Wildcard: Charlie Weis Jr, LSU’s Offensive Coordinator
Weis Jr. would be a completely left-field hire because he just jumped ship from Ole Miss to LSU to follow his Head Coach Lane Kiffin in what has undoubtably been the most dramatic coaching move in recent years. His contract would be hard to break, as would his loyalty but his schematic alignment to Harbaugh’s principles are clear. Weis Jr. is comfortable building the offense from under center, using gap run concepts as foundational methods of attack and he regularly employs condensed formations and heavy surfaces to force defenses into defined run fits. His pass game is tightly married to those run looks, relying on play-action vertical concepts like posts, overs, seams which are all indicative of a smooth transition to the NFL. He has moved away from the high volume drop-back passing or RPOs of his Air Raid lineage and his playbook now emphasizes Pro-style concept families over tag-heavy spread language, making it translatable to Harbaugh’s verbiage and teaching style despite the jump in competition.
Other Names to Watch
This has to be one of the more attractive jobs on the market so I’d imagine they will have plenty of suitors amongst the available coaches but I’d also expect the front office to pursue current coordinators who could be available for a lateral move, should their current teams allow them to do so. This usually speaks to offensive coordinators who do not currently call plays or offensive coordinators on teams without a clear plan at quarterback. This is a small pool but not one which is completely barren however bear in mind these would have to be above average candidates in order to be worth the Spanos family perturbing other team owners. Current Offensive Coordinators that fit into this category include; Adam Stenavich (Green Bay Packers), Declan Doyle (Chicago Bears), Doug Nussmeier (New Orleans Saints), Drew Petzing (Arizona Cardinals) and Dan Pitcher (Cincinnati Bengals).
“It’s a great opportunity for us to learn a lot about the candidates and learn a little about ourselves, too.”
Joe Hortiz on the search for their new offensive coordinator
It’s also worth a reminder that NFL teams use these hiring cycles as opportunities to gain insight into their future opponents, especially their divisional rivals. They will very likely block any current Offensive Coordinators to protect their playbooks. Names I’d therefore expect to be in consideration for these types of interviews are; David Webb (Pass Game Coordinator, Denver Broncos), David Shaw (Run Game Coordinator, Lions), Shane Waldren (Pass Game Coordinator, Jacksonville Jaguars), Thomas Brown (Pass Game Coordinator, New England Patriots), Kefense Hynson (Passing Game Coordinator, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and T.J. Paganetti (Run Game Coordinator, New Orleans Saints). All of these assistants are on teams that the Chargers will play in 2026.
College Options
Another out-of-the-box line of thinking takes you to the college game where there are other candidates who share aligned core principles with Harbaugh even if they don’t share the same coaching tree. Brennan Marion (Colorado, Offensive Coordinator), Jeff Nixon (Syracuse, Offensive Coordinator) and Marcus Arroyo (Offensive Coordinator, Arizona State) align with Harbaugh in that their offenses emphasize winning the battle for control and leverage without necessarily relying on spacing principles. Nixon and Arroyo lean into downhill, physical run identities, while Marion, despite running a shotgun-based scheme, stresses numerical advantage and vertical leverage instead of horizontal distribution.
Conclusion
In the end, I suspect Jim Harbaugh’s next offensive coordinator will land in one of two places: either an obvious, logical choice from Tier 1 who either fits seamlessly into his system or blows the need for a system fit out of the water. Or it will be a left-field candidate who surprises everyone. Harbaugh tends to be decisive in what he wants and I am sure the other members of the committee will be following his gut-instinct unless it strays very far from the line. History suggests he’ll either go with what’s proven, as in Greg Roman, or take a calculated gamble on someone unexpected like Jesse Minter. Whatever the outcome, it’s bound to be a move that sparks conversation and defines the next chapter of both his offense and the Chargers’ championship aspirations .
Apparently he’s still interviewing:
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/los-angeles-chargers/mcdaniel-interviews-for-bills-job-after-becoming-chargers-oc/
https://www.si.com/nfl/chargers/onsi/chargers-expected-hire-mike-mcdaniel-next-offensive-coordinator
FUCK YES!!!
Now, we need Jesse to run it back for another year.
Shocking but in a good way. Best possible outcome IMO.
My favourite part (and there are many contenders) is that it shows that Harbaugh is open and flexible about scheme, and is committed to finding the best (whoever they are).
Great read Ryan. As of 5:45 PM EST, it looks like McDaniels is the guy, which is exciting. The 5 minute clip of him talking offense was great. Innovating, attacking, molding the offense to fit player skills.
If the defensive staff can stick together, 2026 could be a very exciting.
This is very surprising to me as I would not have imagined him as a fit with Harbaugh. What do I know though.
If he does get hired, I will be picking Omarion Hampton in the first round of my fantasy draft.
With Stefanski being rumored for other jobs and in addition to Harbaugh’s age and health history, I’ve felt that if Minter leaves, then the potential to hire one of those coaches gets more likely.
He’d be an excellent fit and I wonder if Matt LaFleur may be an option under that same guise.
It’s only money Spanos – you’ve got plenty of it and spending it on coaches is one way to get yourself the Title and prestige that comes with it.
Well, Stefanski is officially out of the running after taking the Falcons HC gig. Petzing is also out of consideration after taking over as the Lions OC. With McDermott out in Buffalo I think Daboll is a contender for the HC job there. I bet this OC role isn’t filled out until the HC positions are all filled.
Its sounding now like Harbaugh is not going to let McDaniels out of the building. Lots of chatter on the Raiders site for Minter. I think that’s a bad fit for multiple reasons.
If I’m Minter, I would look at the Ravens, Steelers and maybe the Buffalo job.
Jesse may want to take the best offer back to Dean/John & tell them to match the $, then win his SB with the Chargers