If this news had come three weeks ago, I’d be irate. I’d be saying my usual litany about how Stephen Ross has blown it again. Something like: He just hired a guy who has never called a play in his life. He’s never been allowed to make a personnel decision. Never been in a defensive meeting. Never had to manage a game clock. Never played in the NFL. Just another kid coordinator with zero head coaching experience.
All of the above is true about our new coach, as Stephen Ross continues his charitable contributions by giving away yet another head coaching job to yet another guy who hasn’t quite paid his dues.
This kid McDaniel has been around Kyle Shanahan for some 14 years, and Kyle has never once given him any in-game responsibilities. Certainly he has never been allowed to call a play. Kyle Shanahan saw this kid every single day for 14 years and did not think he was worthy to make decisions, but Stephen Ross knows him for 3 days and gives him the most important job on the team. Way to go, again, Stephen Ross.
Yep…so I would have said all of that. But now I am not saying that. Mostly because McDaniel is among the best of the rest. Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson wanted nothing to do with Ross. Other guys with head coaching experience were inexplicably not even on Ross’s radar. It was getting down to crunch time and we were desperate. McDaniel and Dallas’s Kellen Moore were the last two standing, but I thought they might say no to Ross as well, leaving us with the genius mind of Vance Joseph.
When you hire the 6th best candidate out there, it is not exciting. But when the top 5 all find jobs elsewhere, then guess what? The #6 guy suddenly becomes #1, and we got him!
He moved up the depth chart because everyone ahead of him got taken already. Now we get to hear Ross lie to us and say, “Mike was our first choice the whole time.”
He will also say, “We got the right man this time.” Oh, wait. He already said that about Flores. And Gase. And Philbin. It never ends.
But let’s stay positive here. Let’s hope this guy comes in blazing and gets the Dolphins moving forward. Anything other than a 1-7 start is an improvement.
Maybe McDaniel agreed to a $100k per game incentive clause called ‘planning for the future’
I’m getting black rimmed nerd glasses! If he turns this team around, that will go viral and the entire stadium will be wearing them! Admin, was feeling your post above…but we may be totally be getting a breath of a fresh innovative coach. Looking forward to the press conference. Can Ross keep his ugly mug out of it? No one is interested in what he has to say. No matter how good or not good McDaniel turns out to be, Ross is still and will always be a moron. Just mark it down.
I am clinging to the well rumored that McDaniel is always regarded as the smartest guy in the room.
I give him 3 years.
Remember guys. There is brain smart and there is gut smart. the latter wins super bowls. The former wins job openings