The Miami Dolphins have been making headlines quite a bit lately, and on Sunday evening, it was for a positive development. The Dolphins have chosen Mike McDaniel as their new head coach, as officially announced by the team.
Previously, McDaniel served as the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He is stepping into the role previously held by Brian Flores, who was controversially dismissed and subsequently filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
McDaniel is the first minority to be appointed as head coach by any team facing a vacancy this offseason, as the first six positions were all filled by white coaches. McDaniel is of mixed race. The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints remain the only teams still searching for a head coach. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins opted for McDaniel over Kellen Moore, the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.
McDaniel has spent five seasons with the 49ers, with his last year as their offensive coordinator for a team that fell short in the NFC championship game. Prior to that, he was a run game specialist and run game coordinator.
McDaniel is an alumnus of Yale, where he played college football, and has gathered experience as an assistant coach with five NFL teams and the UFL’s Sacramento Mountain Lions before joining the 49ers. At 38 years old, he boasts 14 years of coaching expertise.
McDaniel is expected to introduce innovative offensive strategies to the Dolphins, who remained in contention for the playoffs late last season despite starting with a 1-7 record. Perhaps McDaniel can assist quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has experienced fluctuations in performance during his first two NFL seasons. The Dolphins have been on a quest for solutions for some time now and are hopeful that McDaniel can begin to initiate a turnaround.