Mike McDaniel is the fresh air the Miami Dolphins needed but he has to keep winning
By Brian Miller
![Nov 19, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs off the Nov 19, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs off the](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4000,h_2250,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/62/01hfvrmgqcgpfg83h9xr.jpg)
Nothing about Mike McDaniel is normal. Nothing about that statement is a bad thing either. The Miami Dolphins head coach is not trying to impress anyone with his personality.
From the moment McDaniel arrived in Miami, he has been a joy to watch at the podium. A rare gem at post-game pressers, and it is easy to see why fans fell in love so quickly with the quirky nerd. That isn't a knock by the way.
On Hard Knocks: In Season Episode One, we got a deeper look at McDaniel and it leaves one to wonder, is McDaniel the type of coach that hangs around decades or is he a 5-8 year kind of HC?
Let's get one thing clear. Nothing about McDaniel is fake or phony. Nothing. He isn't trying to be someone he is not and while you may not realize by talking to him that he is a Yale grad, the fact that he is makes the whole thing even crazier.
The players love McDaniel. Opposing players love McDaniel. This is an incredible trait to have because when other players like you, they want to play for you. And when a player wants to play for you, they play hard to win for you. This is Mike McDaniel.
His personality is infectious. His mannerisms are so far on the opposite side of the NFL head coaching spectrum that it isn't even close. There is no comparison to Bill Belichick or Andy Reid any more than there is a comparison to any other current or former NFL head coach.
Mike McDaniel seems more likely to eat a hot dog like Barry Switzer on the sidelines during the Pro Bowl as is to throw his headset down in anger like Bill Belichick.
McDaniel is all business, all the time, but with an almost goofy, ego-less, "I'm your best friend" kind of vibe. He is the type of Head Coach who would more likely call Steven Ross, Mr. Ross than even consider calling him Steve, which McDaniel probably does.
There is, however, a but. There is always a but. And with Mike McDaniel, it is that same quirky endearing personality that creates that...but.
It's great now. It works. The Miami Dolphins players are having fun and they are winning games, sometimes by large margins. But...there it is...what happens if they are not? What happens if the Dolphins start losing? What happens if the salary cap becomes a problem to get top talent to the team? Is McDaniel the type of coach that can adapt from year to year? I'd like to think so.
It's easy to sit back and say Mike McDaniel is our coach no matter what but does he have a job if he is 2 and 8 like the Patriots? Bill Belichick is often referred to as the greatest NFL coach in history (We know that's not true) but this year could truly be his last in New England. His team is not relevant.
Unlike Belichick, McDaniel doesn't have multiple Super Bowl rings on his fingers.
It is easy to like McDaniel and it is even easier to root for him to win. McDaniel is all of us. Every single one of us from former NFL players to never-made-it-in college athletes to every Al Bundy "I played High School Football" middle-aged out-of-shape fan. McD represents our dreams because he never should be where he is at. He made it.
We are enjoying this Miami Dolphins team and we will enjoy next year's and the year after that and hopefully the next decade but Miami has to continue to win because if they don't, I'm not certain that everything we love about McDaniel won't become what we hate should the Dolphins revert back to being an afterthought by mid-season.
I know, why am I even discussing this? For many you will point out that I should be simply enjoying what we finally have and you should know that I am, every single second of it just like all of you but I also know that I have to sometimes share an unpopular thought and that is what this is.
After watching Hard Knocks, I saw, that we all saw how fantastically crazy Mike McDaniel can be. Seeing Maxx Crosby seek him out after the game was such an incredible compliment to the Dolphins' young head coach. Maybe it never goes away. With McDaniel, we know his approach to his players and his commitment to staying true to who he is, will never change.
Mike McDaniel from his odd-looking pant choices to the red tag on his shoe and his desire to wear hooded sweatshirts on the sidelines in 80-degree weather, is everything we love about the Dolphins head coach. He is perfectly in sync with his players and hopefully, that never changes.
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