Patriots’ Top OC Options for Mac Jones amid Rumors Raiders to Hire McDaniels to Be HC

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Josh McDaniels will get his second opportunity at being an NFL head coach.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Las Vegas Raiders are preparing to hire the New England Patriots offensive coordinator as the full-time replacement for Jon Gruden, who resigned in October after offensive emails he sent while employed at ESPN were leaked.

Rich Bisaccia served as interim coach after Gruden’s dismissal, leading the Raiders to a wild-card berth.

McDaniels previously spent two years as the Denver Broncos head coach from 2009 to 2010, going a dismal 11-17. He returned to the Patriots as offensive coordinator in 2012 and spent the last decade running the New England offense, spurning several head coaching chances in the process.

The departure of McDaniels leaves Bill Belichick with a sizable role to fill on his staff, with McDaniels serving as arguably his most trusted assistant during his second tenure with the franchise.

If Belichick wants a familiar face as OC, he wouldn’t have to look hard to find it. Bill O’Brien, who replaced McDaniels as quarterbacks coach when he left in 2009, is currently Alabama’s offensive coordinator and could be itching for an NFL return. O’Brien left New England after the 2011 season to take the Penn State head coaching job and then spent seven seasons as the Houston Texans head coach before being fired in 2020. 

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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