He's the man the Dolphins have selected to replace head coach Brian Flores, who was fired after back-to-back winning seasons, only to file an incendiary lawsuit against the NFL and the Dolphins.
McDaniel comes to Miami after a successful stint as the San Fransico 49ers' offensive coordinator and brings with him the offensive football knowledge the Dolphins must implement to get the best out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
You knew all that, of course. But did you know McDaniel's rise through the coaching ranks is one of the most interesting stories you'll ever hear? Let's dive in and get to know a few things about the man who hopes to have the Dolphins playing in the Super Bowl.
He Was Discovered Crying
As a kid, McDaniel attended the Denver Broncos training camp at the University of Northern Colorado, where he met video staffer Gary McCune. As the story goes, McDaniel was noticed after he started crying when he lost his hat at practice one day. McCune got him a new one, and from there he became a part of the team and worked as a ball boy for the Broncos in high school.Years later, after graduating college, McDaniel would get his start in coaching as an intern for the Broncos.
He Doesn't Do Vegetables
McDaniel has hated vegetables since childhood. According to McDaniel, attempts were made along the way to implement vegetables into his diet, but he "got to salad and stopped."Luckily, there's a loophole available. Because potatoes are technically a vegetable, McDaniel considers a large order of French fries to be vegetable intake. This coach really is smarter than everyone else!
McDaniel Last Had a Drink on January 4, 2016
It was obvious early in McDaniel's coaching career that he was special. He moved up the ranks quickly. But along the way, there were struggles with alcohol, at one point getting so bad that he would show up to meetings smelling like booze, and eventually, needed a three-week stint in rehab.McDaniel says he's clean now. Coincidentally, he won the Dolphins job over Dan Quinn, who was head coach of the Falcons when the team helped McDaniel check himself into a treatment center.
That’s an OC right there! pic.twitter.com/SHm0LmgjYY
— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) January 18, 2021
He Played Wide Receiver at Yale
Saying McDaniel played at Yale seems to be a loose term. Statistics aren't easy to find. But he does appear on the roster.The only statistics available about McDaniel on the Yale website are that he wore No. 28 and was listed at five-foot-nine and 180 pounds as a junior, then five-nine and 175 as a senior. That would mean he actually lost weight while on the football team. Yale, feed your players better.
He's a Genius
Fun facts aside, players McDaniel has coached in the past call him one of the best coaches they've ever had. Former Browns wide receiver Nate Burleson said even though McDaniel is younger than he is, he taught him more about playing wide receiver in one season than anyone else had in a long time.McDaniel brings with him true expertise in offensive philosophies — something the Dolphins have been lacking for decades, not just years. Whether he proves to be the first coach to actually deliver on some of the promises that are always made when hired is another story.
