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Dolphins Hire 49ers OC Mike McDaniels As Their Next Head Coach
The Miami Dolphins have hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach the team announced Sunday.
McDaniel, 38 and headed for his first stint as a head coach, will take over a team coming off of back-to-back winning seasons but that hasn't made the playoffs since 2016 or won its division since 2008.
He arrives in Miami following five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he most recently served as the team's offensive coordinator (2021) following four years as the Niners' run game coordinator (2017-2020).
As NFL.com's Grant Gordon suggests, perhaps the most pressing priority for McDaniel will be to build up a Dolphins offense that finished 25th in total yards in 2021. That process will start with further developing third-year quarterbakc Tua Tagovailoa. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Jan. 15 that Tagovailoa is expected to be the Dolphins' starter next season, and that Miami's leadership hoped to hire a coach who could extract the best out of the young passer.
While much of the attention going forward will be on McDaniel's work with Tagovailoa, the coach's reputation as a run-game specialist could spell major improvement for Miami's rushing attack, which finished 30th in 2021.
McDaniel was part of a much-ballyhooed 2012 Washington coaching staff that included Kyle Shanahan (OC), Matt LaFleur (QBs) and Sean McVay (TEs) while McDaniel served as an offensive assistant. Washington led the NFL in rushing that season and made the playoffs.
In fact, McDaniel has worked alongside Shanahan for much of his career.
He was a Texans offensive assistant from 2006-2008. And after a stint in the UFL, McDaniel was an offensive assistant under Shanahan in Washington from 2011-2012 before becoming receivers coach in 2013. He followed Shanahan to the Browns in 2014 as the team's receivers coach. Then he was an offensive assistant for Shanahan from 2015-2016 in Atlanta before becoming the 49ers run game coordinator when Shanahan became San Francisco's head coach.
The first-year NFL coach will have pieces to work with this season, as the roster already includes an assortment of promising young players and proven talent: wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Xavien Howard, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and safety Jevon Holland, among them.
McDaniel and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were both slated to have interviews with the Dolphins over the weekend as finalists for the job.
The 49ers will receive a pair of compensatory third-round picks (one in each of next two years) for McDaniels being hired as a head coach. McDaniel is biracial and thus Niners get compensation under league's diversity development and hiring incentive program.
McDaniel fills the vacancy created by the firing of Brian Flores.
On Tuesday, Flores, who is Black, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL and three of its teams -- the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants -- alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination. The suit also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 campaign, Flores' first with the club, so that Miami would end up with the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which was eventually used by the Cincinnati Bengals to select quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Dolphins have denied Flores' allegations, with Ross issuing a statement in which he called Flores' claims "false, malicious and defamatory." Rapoport reported the league is expected to investigate Flores' allegations that Ross offered him money for losses. Flores led the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three seasons in Miami.
McDaniel, 38 and headed for his first stint as a head coach, will take over a team coming off of back-to-back winning seasons but that hasn't made the playoffs since 2016 or won its division since 2008.
He arrives in Miami following five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he most recently served as the team's offensive coordinator (2021) following four years as the Niners' run game coordinator (2017-2020).
As NFL.com's Grant Gordon suggests, perhaps the most pressing priority for McDaniel will be to build up a Dolphins offense that finished 25th in total yards in 2021. That process will start with further developing third-year quarterbakc Tua Tagovailoa. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Jan. 15 that Tagovailoa is expected to be the Dolphins' starter next season, and that Miami's leadership hoped to hire a coach who could extract the best out of the young passer.
While much of the attention going forward will be on McDaniel's work with Tagovailoa, the coach's reputation as a run-game specialist could spell major improvement for Miami's rushing attack, which finished 30th in 2021.
McDaniel was part of a much-ballyhooed 2012 Washington coaching staff that included Kyle Shanahan (OC), Matt LaFleur (QBs) and Sean McVay (TEs) while McDaniel served as an offensive assistant. Washington led the NFL in rushing that season and made the playoffs.
In fact, McDaniel has worked alongside Shanahan for much of his career.
He was a Texans offensive assistant from 2006-2008. And after a stint in the UFL, McDaniel was an offensive assistant under Shanahan in Washington from 2011-2012 before becoming receivers coach in 2013. He followed Shanahan to the Browns in 2014 as the team's receivers coach. Then he was an offensive assistant for Shanahan from 2015-2016 in Atlanta before becoming the 49ers run game coordinator when Shanahan became San Francisco's head coach.
The first-year NFL coach will have pieces to work with this season, as the roster already includes an assortment of promising young players and proven talent: wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Xavien Howard, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and safety Jevon Holland, among them.
McDaniel and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were both slated to have interviews with the Dolphins over the weekend as finalists for the job.
The 49ers will receive a pair of compensatory third-round picks (one in each of next two years) for McDaniels being hired as a head coach. McDaniel is biracial and thus Niners get compensation under league's diversity development and hiring incentive program.
McDaniel fills the vacancy created by the firing of Brian Flores.
On Tuesday, Flores, who is Black, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL and three of its teams -- the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants -- alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination. The suit also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 campaign, Flores' first with the club, so that Miami would end up with the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which was eventually used by the Cincinnati Bengals to select quarterback Joe Burrow.
The Dolphins have denied Flores' allegations, with Ross issuing a statement in which he called Flores' claims "false, malicious and defamatory." Rapoport reported the league is expected to investigate Flores' allegations that Ross offered him money for losses. Flores led the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three seasons in Miami.