The Miami Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to be the team’s 14th head coach — 11th not counting interim coaches Miami has had. Here’s more on the first-time head coach:
- The 38-year-old McDaniel is a Yale graduate (2005) who played wide receiver for the Bulldogs. He is a native of Aurora, Colorado, who attended Smoky Hill High.
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McDaniel has long ties to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, but the first Shanahan he worked under in the NFL was Kyle’s father, Mike Shanahan, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the Denver Broncos. McDaniel worked with him as an intern for his hometown team in 2005. Then, the long list of stints working with Kyle Shanahan began — the Houston Texans (offensive assistant, 2006-08), Washington Redskins (offensive assistant, 2011-12; wide receivers coach 2013), Cleveland Browns (wide receivers coach, 2014), Atlanta Falcons (offensive assistant, 2015-16) and the 49ers since — the first four years as run-game coordinator. With Washington, McDaniel got to work with both Mike and Kyle Shanahan. He also had two years as running backs coach with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League from 2009 to 2010.
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McDaniel has been on a fast track since landing in San Francisco. He spent one season as offensive coordinator before getting his first chance as a head coach. He didn’t call plays in this role but was instrumental in developing the offensive game plan. McDaniel is a savant in run-game production, which was the strength of the 49ers offense both in this year’s run to the NFC Championship Game and in the team’s Super Bowl appearance in Miami two years ago. He also coached in the Super Bowl with the 2016 Falcons.
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While McDaniel is mostly known for his creativity in the run game — see what 49ers Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel did rushing this season — Pierre Garcon led the NFL in receptions in 2013 with McDaniel as his position coach. McDaniel, though, doesn’t have any experience coaching quarterbacks, so his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach hires will be key in developing Tua Tagovailoa long term.
* McDaniel is biracial with a Black father and white mother. So, although the Dolphins fired Brian Flores last month, Miami will continue to be one of the NFL franchises with a minority head coach, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers (Mike Tomlin), Washington Commanders (Ron Rivera) and New York Jets (Robert Saleh).
Source: Berkshire mont