Following his appointment as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, Mike McDaniels has shared his initial impressions of Justin Herbert and outlined exactly what his plan is for him.

After leaving the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniels has found a new home in the NFL. He has joined the Los Angeles Chargers as offensive coordinator.

There, the former head coach has recently been working closely with starting quarterback Justin Herbert. It’s a matchup that should complement each other well, thanks to McDaniel’s fast-paced offense and the smart playmaker.

After a short time on the West Coast, McDaniel confirms that the decision to move with his family to the other side of the U.S. was worth it.

Coaching role chosen deliberately despite step back

The change in his role—moving from a head coaching position to a coordinator role—also feels right after the first few practices.

He emphasized this in an interview on the Chargers’ official website: “I had very, very high expectations. Justin was one of the main reasons I moved here with my family.”

And it seems to have been worth it: “I can say with absolute certainty that he has exceeded them. He’s just very motivated and focused. I’m very impressed and very motivated to continue this process, because so far everything is going well. We’re still at the very beginning of the race, but at this point I couldn’t be happier with this working relationship and the path we’re taking together.”

McDaniel wants to push Herbert to play “the best football of his career”

Even though a positive atmosphere in the first few weeks of a season is nothing unusual, given the situation in LA, one can expect a long-term positive effect.

For two consecutive years, the Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs without a win and with a combined total of just 15 points. As a result, Greg Roman had to hand over his position to McDaniel.

McDaniel has big plans for his quarterback, who ranks among the top players at his position in the league: “We want to excel in everything we do and master the position in a new way.”

He continued: “It’s about him playing the position in a way he’s never played before, and ultimately making it obvious to everyone around him that he’s playing the best football of his career.”

McDaniel aims to push Herbert to a career high

The focus will be on the quarterback’s pace. McDaniel said Herbert needs to work on his footwork to generate a faster tempo.

According to McDaniel, the 28-year-old’s willingness and commitment to trying new things are what set him apart.

Under McDaniel, the goal will be for Herbert to take fewer hits or have to improvise to avoid them. Above all, according to the OC, the priority is to help Herbert have the best season of his NFL career.