While the Cleveland Browns still seek their next head coach, Mike McDaniel will no longer be in contention for the role after he withdrew his name from the interview process. The ex-head coach of the Miami Dolphins informed the Browns of his decision before a planned meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Previously, McDaniel was set to meet with the Los Angeles Chargers regarding their vacant offensive coordinator position, following the dismissal of Greg Roman after a playoff defeat against the New England Patriots.

Despite his exit from the Browns’ search, McDaniel remains a candidate for head coaching positions with the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders.

With McDaniel out, the Browns will continue their search for a head coach. They have already conducted second interviews with several candidates including Jim Schwartz, Todd Monken, Grant Udinski, Jesse Minter, and Nate Scheelhaase.

At 42, McDaniel had a brief yet impactful tenure with the San Francisco 49ers before heading to Miami in 2022. His time with the Dolphins saw early successes with consecutive playoff berths, but his teams collectively managed only 15 wins against 19 losses over the last two seasons, resulting in a regular season record of 35 wins and 33 losses with an 0-2 playoff standing.