Mike McDaniel

Mike McDaniel
	McDaniel with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015
Miami Dolphins
Position:	Head coach
Personal information
Born:	March 6, 1983 (age 39); Aurora, Colorado
Height:	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:	180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school:	Smoky Hill (Aurora, CO)
College:	Yale
Career history
As a coach:
	Denver Broncos (2005); Coaching intern; Houston Texans (2006–2008); Offensive assistant; California Redwoods / Sacramento Mountain Lions (2009–2010); Running backs coach; Washington Redskins (2011–2012); Offensive assistant; Washington Redskins (2013); Wide receivers coach; Cleveland Browns (2014); Wide receivers coach; Atlanta Falcons (2015–2016); Offensive assistant; San Francisco 49ers (2017–2020); Run game coordinator; San Francisco 49ers (2021); Offensive coordinator; Miami Dolphins (2022–present); Head coach;
Head coaching record
Regular season:	3–1 (.750)
	Coaching stats at PFR

Michael Lee McDaniel (born March 6, 1983) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time assistant to Mike and Kyle Shanahan, McDaniel began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005. As an offensive-minded coach for much of his 17-year coaching career, McDaniel has served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2021, holding his first offensive coordinator position in 2021. McDaniel has appeared in two Super Bowls, one each with the Falcons in 2017 and with the 49ers in 2020.

McDaniel spent five seasons with the 49ers, mostly as the run game coordinator. His tenure concluded with their second NFC Championship Game appearance in three seasons; McDaniel served as the offensive coordinator that season before he left to become the Dolphins' head coach.

Early life and playing career

McDaniel was born in Aurora, Colorado, in 1983. He graduated from Smoky Hill High School in 2001.^[1] He played college football as a wide receiver at Yale, where he graduated with a degree in history.^[2]^[3]

Coaching career

Denver Broncos

McDaniel was hired in 2005, at the age of 22 by his hometown Denver Broncos as a coaching intern under head coach Mike Shanahan. The Broncos in 2005 finished with what was at the time their best record since John Elway's retirement 6 years earlier, at 13-3. In the postseason they defeated the defending back-to-back Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 27-13 in the Divisional Round before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 17-34 in the AFC Championship Game.

Houston Texans

In 2006, McDaniel was hired by the Houston Texans as an offensive assistant under head coach Gary Kubiak, whom McDaniel worked alongside at the Denver Broncos a season earlier. During his tenure in Houston, McDaniel assisted 3 different offensive coordinators and future head coaches; Troy Calhoun, Mike Sherman, and Kyle Shanahan.

California Redwoods / Sacramento Mountain Lions

In 2009, McDaniel was hired by the California Redwoods, a team from the now-defunct UFL football league as a running backs coach under former Minnesota Vikings/Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green. In McDaniel's 2nd year, the team relocated to Sacramento and was subsequently renamed the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Washington Redskins

In 2011, McDaniel was hired by the Washington Redskins as an offensive assistant, reuniting with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, who was McDaniel's mentor 6 seasons earlier on the Denver Broncos. It was there where McDaniel worked alongside 3 other future head coaches; Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFleur. In 2013, McDaniel was promoted to wide receivers coach following the departure of Ike Hilliard, who left to join the Buffalo Bills in the same position. McDaniel would not be retained under new head coach Jay Gruden.

Cleveland Browns

McDaniel was hired in 2014 by the Cleveland Browns as their wide receivers coach under new head coach Mike Pettine.

Atlanta Falcons

McDaniel was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as an offensive assistant coach under new head coach Dan Quinn in 2015.

San Francisco 49ers

In 2017, McDaniel was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as their run game coordinator under his long-time associate and new head coach Kyle Shanahan, whom he worked alongside for a total of 9 seasons on the Texans, Redskins, Browns, and Falcons. During the 2019 season, McDaniel and the Niners appeared in Super Bowl LIV, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 20-31. On January 18, 2021, McDaniel was promoted to offensive coordinator, following the departure of passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur, who left to become the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.^[4]

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins hired McDaniel as their fourteenth head coach on February 6, 2022.^[5] On September 11, 2022, McDaniel made his regular season head coaching debut against the New England Patriots and led the Dolphins to a 20-7 victory, marking McDaniel's first victory as a head coach. McDaniel became the first Dolphins head coach since Nick Saban in 2005 to win their first game as Miami's head coach, and the first in franchise history to win a season opener as a rookie head coach.^[6]

Personal life

McDaniel and his wife Katie have one daughter, Ayla June.^[7]

McDaniel is multiracial. His mother is white and his father is African American. In a February 2022 interview, he stated that he does not know some family members from his mother's side, as they cut ties with her over his father's race.^[8]

Head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season					Postseason
Team	Year	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
MIA	2022	3	1	0	.750		—	—	—	—
Total		3	1	0	.750		—	—	–

References

^ Sickafoose, Quinten (February 6, 2022). "Smoky Hill grad Mike McDaniel hired as Dolphins head coach".
^ "McDaniel '05 Named Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins". Yale Bulldogs. February 7, 2022.
^ "McDaniel '05 Promoted to 49ers Offensive Coordinator".
^ 49ers, San Francisco (January 18, 2021). "49ers Announce Coaching Promotions". www.49ers.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
^ @MiamiDolphins (February 6, 2022). "We have agreed to terms with Mike McDaniel. Welcome to Miami, Coach!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ "Mike McDaniel is first Dolphins HC to notch debut win since Saban". FanSided.com. September 11, 2022.
^ Schad, Joe. "Schad: In Mike McDaniel, Dolphins clearly hired a unique person and coach". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
^ Louis-Jacques, Marcel (February 11, 2022). "New Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel: 'Extremely proud' to be biracial". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.

External links

[1] Sickafoose, Quinten (February 6, 2022). "Smoky Hill grad Mike McDaniel hired as Dolphins head coach".

[2] "McDaniel '05 Named Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins". Yale Bulldogs. February 7, 2022.

[3] "McDaniel '05 Promoted to 49ers Offensive Coordinator".

[4] 49ers, San Francisco (January 18, 2021). "49ers Announce Coaching Promotions". www.49ers.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.

[5] @MiamiDolphins (February 6, 2022). "We have agreed to terms with Mike McDaniel. Welcome to Miami, Coach!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[6] "Mike McDaniel is first Dolphins HC to notch debut win since Saban". FanSided.com. September 11, 2022.

[7] Schad, Joe. "Schad: In Mike McDaniel, Dolphins clearly hired a unique person and coach". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 15, 2022.

[family-8] Louis-Jacques, Marcel (February 11, 2022). "New Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel: 'Extremely proud' to be biracial". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.

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