EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) \u2014 Just like his famously inventive offenses, Mike McDaniel had many options.<\/p>\n
He interviewed for several head coaching jobs after his four-year tenure in charge of the Miami Dolphins ended this month<\/a>, and he could have been an offensive coordinator pretty much anywhere he pleased.<\/p>\n McDaniel still wants to be a head coach again someday, but he chose to join the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> alongside Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert because the combination of time, place and personnel seemed perfect for this idiosyncratic coach who also happens to be one of the top offensive minds in football.<\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t take long for me to feel this is what I was looking for,\u201d the Bolts\u2019 new offensive coordinator said Tuesday. \u201cYou just want to be a part of a hungry organization with like-minded football people that are doing anything and everything to win. And for me, the opportunity to work with Coach Harbaugh was too good to pass up. It felt like I was extremely fortunate to be afforded this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Harbaugh and the Chargers seem equally fortunate to land McDaniel, an ideal candidate for the crucial job of directing Herbert\u2019s career into something worthy of his prodigious talent.<\/p>\n In his introductory news conference, McDaniel immediately went into great detail about what he wants to do for Herbert, who has thrown for 24,820 yards and 163 touchdowns while emerging as one of the NFL\u2019s top passers in his six seasons with the Chargers.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a competitive player that each and every year is trying to get better at his craft, (but) I think he hasn\u2019t neared the ceiling to what he\u2019s capable of,\u201d McDaniel said.<\/p>\n Herbert has consistently shined despite playing with three permanent head coaches, four offensive coordinators and a changing collection of playmakers and linemen around him. <\/p>\n Despite playing in some offensive schemes perceived to be relatively primitive by modern NFL standards, particularly in the past two years under Harbaugh and fired coordinator Greg Roman, Herbert has frequently carried the Chargers through his improvisation, arm strength and sheer competitive will.<\/p>\n Essentially, McDaniel doesn\u2019t want Herbert to have to work so hard.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of incredible plays Justin has made,\u201d McDaniel said. \u201cHe\u2019s firmly capable, and sometimes as a coach you can rely upon that a little too much. \u2026 It can be taxing over time for a player to necessitate an incredible play too often, so you try to take it off of him by creating some low-cost, high-reward offense that he\u2019s firmly capable of doing, but maybe a player of lesser talent would be capable of doing as well.\u201d<\/p>\n McDaniel said the Dolphins\u2019 struggles when Tua Tagovailoa was out with injuries reinforced his determination to keep Herbert safer. The Chargers quarterback took 96 sacks in the past two seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has an incredible ability to do off-schedule (throws),\u201d McDaniel said. \u201cI think I\u2019ll be firmly coaching away from the off-schedule stuff at the front end, because he can always go back to that comfort zone as you work out other things. I think a primary focus on how to have offense without putting him in a vulnerable position will be a starting point, and we\u2019ll extrapolate from there.\u201d<\/p>\n McDaniel and Herbert spoke last week, and the quarterback is ready to work.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was in high spirits and just excited about attacking something,\u201d McDaniel said. \u201cYou lose in the playoffs in the first round, it\u2019s a lot of work that you feel kind of like (left you with) an empty stomach. So that hunger, I could hear in his voice.\u201d<\/p>\n