LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay is regarded as one of the sharpest and most innovative coaches in the league. For the Los Angeles Rams coach to strongly endorse new Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is significant.
Sean McVay complimentary of new Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel
McVay has competed against McDaniel for the past five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. McVay lost six consecutive games to the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan prior to beating them in the NFC Championship Game.
“I think the world of Mike McDaniel,” McVay said while preparing for the Super Bowl. “Selfishly, I’m not sad to see him leave our division either.”
McDaniel, 38, is the replacement for Brian Flores, who was fired despite finishing the season on an 8-1 run while having run-ins with general manager Chris Grier. The ability of McDaniel to create innovative offensive schemes sets him apart.
“Great communicator, incredibly smart, very creative and innovative thought process,” McVay said. “He sees the game through the totality of all 22.”
McDaniel will be missed in San Francisco
The 49ers are sorry to lose McDaniel’s expertise, especially in the running game.
“I obviously don’t want to lose Mike,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think people made a bigger deal about Mike this year because he had the title all by himself but Mike did the same thing this year he has been doing the last four or five years.”
McDaniel’s coaching history
McDaniel is a longtime member of the Shanahan coaching tree, both under Kyle Shanahan and his father, Mike. The new Dolphins head coach began his career as an intern for the Broncos under the elder Shanahan. He later followed Kyle to Washington, Cleveland, and Atlanta before both headed to San Francisco.
Initially the 49ers’ run game coordinator, San Francisco promoted McDaniel to offensive coordinator in 2021. He gets credit for developing San Francisco’s excellent rushing attack, and he’ll now attempt to revamp Miami’s offense.