With the San Francisco 49ers since the start of the Kyle Shanahan era back in 2017, Mike McDaniel is seen as one of the better young offensive minds in the NFL.
McDaniel, 38, will now become the first minority head coach hire of the cycle. According to multiple media reports, the Miami Dolphins are set to hire McDaniel to be their next head coach — replacing the recently-fired Brian Flores in the process.
McDaniel had long been considered the favorite to land in South Beach with fellow offensive mind Kellen Moore also acting as a finalist for the job.
The Colorado native has a whole lot of experience within the NFL coaching circles. He started out his career as an intern for the Denver Broncos under Shanahan’s father, Mike, back in 2005. Since then, Mike McDaniel has followed the younger Shanahan around from stop to stop. That included being hired as the 49ers’ run-game coordinator back in 2017.
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Mike McDaniel as the Miami Dolphins next head coach
McDaniel ultimately “led” the 49ers’ offense to a No. 7 ranking in total yards and a No. 13 mark in points scored as a first-year coordinator in 2021. This, despite the limited play of Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. He also wasn’t necessarily tasked with calling plays.
However, the youngster is seen as an innovative offensive mind in the run game and learned from one of the best play-callers in the NFL.
In the past, McDaniel has worked with some respected head coaches, too. That includes Gary Kubiak, Dan Quinn and the aforementioned Mike Shanahan.
The idea for these Dolphins is to find someone who can work wonders with young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is entering his third season in the NFL after an up-and-down start to his career.
Tua was a point of contention between Flores and Grier during the 2021 season, leading to the former being fired despite the Dolphins boasting a winning record each of the past two years.
It also must be noted that Mike McDaniel becomes the first minority head coach hired this cycle. It’s been a point of contention since former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the league and its teams — claiming racism in the hiring process. McDaniel is biracial. As such, the 49ers receive two third-round compensatory picks for Miami hiring McDaniel.