The Miami Dolphins made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016 and for just the third time in the previous two decades. The Dolphins appear to be on an upward trend, and the club’s decision-makers have had a substantial effect on that trajectory. Who is Miami’s head coach?
Who Is the Miami Dolphins’ Head Coach?
Mike McDaniel is the Dolphins’ head coach. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
How Long Has Mike McDaniel Been the Dolphins’ Head Coach?
McDaniel has only been the Dolphins’ head coach for one season. The 2022 season marked his first campaign in Miami, during which he led the team to a 9-8 record and a Wild Card berth, despite quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missing several starts while dealing with concussions.
McDaniel, one of the NFL’s youngest head coaches at age 40, enjoys a long working relationship with current San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and his father, longtime NFL head coach Mike Shanahan.
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McDaniel’s worked with at least one of the Shanahans at every one of his NFL stops, including the Denver Broncos (2005), Houston Texans (2006-08), Washington (2011-13), Cleveland Browns (2014), Atlanta Falcons (2015-16), and 49ers (2017-21).
Who Was the Head Coach Before McDaniel?
Before the Dolphins hired McDaniel in 2022, Brian Flores was Miami’s head coach for three seasons. Flores managed a 24-25 record from 2019-21, and though he posted winning records in each of his last two years, he never took the Dolphins to the playoffs.
Flores later sued the Dolphins, the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos, and the NFL for racial discrimination after he was not hired for a head-coaching position in 2022. He also accused Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering him $100,000 per loss during Miami’s “tanking” season in 2019.
After spending the 2021 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Flores is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
What Is McDaniel’s Record With the Dolphins?
As previously mentioned, McDaniel posted a 9-8 regular-season record in his first season as the Dolphins’ head coach. He is 0-1 in the playoffs, having lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round.
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However, Miami managed to keep that game close despite entering as a 13.5-point underdog. Even with third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson under center, the Dolphins narrowly lost, 34-31.
Has McDaniel Ever Won a Super Bowl?
While McDaniel has never won a Super Bowl, he has appeared as an assistant coach in two.
In 2017, McDaniel was an offensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons when they lost a devastating Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. In 2020, he was the 49ers’ run game coordinator when San Francisco fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.