Mike McDaniel has only just arrived as the new offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, but the former Miami Dolphins head coach is already becoming one of the biggest personalities inside the building. And according to linebacker Daiyan Henley, McDaniel’s latest interaction with the defense perfectly captured why players seem to gravitate toward him so quickly.

“He’s just a unique individual. ” You think Coach Harbaugh has strange moments, but he has more,” Henley said. “Just getting off the field, he walks in the linebackers’ huddle. It’s our offensive coordinator around nothing but linebackers. Like, who does that? I’ve been in football for long enough to know that’s not really the norm. And I know he was the head coach, so that’s probably where he gets the feel to just be everywhere. But him doing that is just great. Appreciate it. Like, I want to go get him the ball. Like, I trust him.”

“I told him today he’s gonna get tackled. He said, ‘Yeah, I can’t wait to get tackled. Then I’m gonna sue you.’ I’m laughing. I’m like, ‘You probably would. You probably would win that.’ Henley said with a laugh, “So nah, he’s one heck of a dude. He’s hilarious, and he’s fly. He got drip. The dude got drip.”

Henley’s comments offered a glimpse into how McDaniel’s personality and energy are already spreading into the Chargers. The former head coach appears to be operating with the same hands-on and quirky energy that defined much of his time in Miami. Apart from his explosive offenses with the Dolphins, McDaniel quickly became a viral hit with his quirky press conferences.

Very much embodying the millennial archetype with his skinny-fitting clothes, McDaniel was a breath of fresh air to the classic hard-nosed older HC commonly found in the league.

Henley later joked that McDaniel’s shoes and signature outfits have already become part of his identity around the facility. “It’s very him,” Henley said. “Everything else is Chargers gear, but when you see the feet, you gotta be like, ‘That’s fly.’”

But his quirky and colorful personality was not why the Chargers hired him in the first place.

McDaniel is reshaping the Chargers’ offense around Justin Herbert

The Chargers hired the offensive mastermind with a clear agenda. To protect Justin Herbert and maximize one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks. McDaniel made it clear during his introductory press conference that Herbert was one of the biggest reasons he accepted the job in Los Angeles.

The new coordinator later added that he believes Herbert’s “best football is in front of him.” This is despite the QB already establishing himself as one of the premier players in the league. A major emphasis under McDaniel will be on reducing the burden constantly placed on Herbert. He absorbed 54 sacks during the 2025 season while facing a league-high 263 pressures.

General manager Joe Hortiz also revealed that the Chargers are preparing for a major schematic shift under McDaniel. Particularly through the implementation of wide-zone blocking concepts. “You have to understand there’s going to be some players that move a little bit on your board because this guy in our old scheme may have fit better and doesn’t as well now,” Hortiz explained.

McDaniel’s offensive philosophy comes from the Mike/Kyle Shanahan tree. It involves a lot of pre-snap motion to start off and then uses play-action passing and RPOs as a core strategy. He also employs a creative zone run game that has the ability to gain massive chunks on the ground. All of this is primarily designed to make life easier on quarterbacks.

But while his offensive acumen is now well known, what Charger players like Henley are also finding out is that their new OC is just a really fun and cool dude to be around.