By Mike Jones, Jenna West and Jourdan Rodrigue
The Miami Dolphins signed coach Mike McDaniel to a new contract, keeping him with the franchise through 2028, a person briefed on the matter said Friday.
McDaniel, 41, has coached the Dolphins since 2022, leading them to a 20-14 record and two playoff appearances. Miami hired the then-San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator on a four-year contract a month after firing coach Brian Flores. It marked McDaniel’s first head-coaching job in the NFL after working 15 seasons in the league and two in the UFL.
Flores’ firing in early 2022 came after the Dolphins opened the 2021 season 1-7 with a seven-game losing streak after winning in Week 1. The team stormed back to win seven straight games and finish 9-8, but the franchise appeared to lack direction.
Miami had only been to the playoffs twice in 20 years until McDaniel led the team to a wild-card matchup against the Buffalo Bills in 2023. The Dolphins lost to the Bills and returned to the playoffs last season but lost to the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.
ESPN was first to report news of McDaniel’s new contract.
How McDaniel turned the Dolphins around
There is way more than meets the eye (or goes viral on the internet) with McDaniel, whose initial arrival in Miami in 2022 presented him with a few tasks: Rebuild the quarterback, establish a culture, install your offense and scheme — and by the way, what would that look like?
McDaniel’s vision and his seemingly endless ideas quickly became clear. He collaborated with the front office to build the fastest and among the most innovative offenses in the NFL and helped quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reach a level of play and confidence many believed he might never achieve.
McDaniel’s players love him because he reaches them on a human level and his teaching style gives them the answers to the test. He quickly became a coach other offensive coaches across the NFL copy every year, and that is no small thing to a team owner. The vibes are good in Miami — but an extension can hold a double-edged meaning, too: The trial years are over. It’s time to start winning some playoff games. — Jourdan Rodrigue, NFL staff writer
Required reading
(Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel / USA Today)
