Mike McDaniel

Michael Lee McDaniel is a football coach who is the head coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time assistant and descendant of the Shanahan coaching tree, McDaniel began his NFL coaching career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005. McDaniel served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2021, holding his first offensive coordinator position in 2021. McDaniel appeared in Super Bowl LI with the Falcons in 2017 and Super Bowl LIV with the 49ers in 2020 as an assistant coach alongside Kyle Shanahan.

McDaniel spent five seasons with the 49ers as the run game coordinator. His tenure concluded with their second NFC Championship Game appearance in three seasons; McDaniel served as the offensive coordinator the season before he left to become the Dolphins' head coach. Mike McDaniel was named the 11th head coach in team history on Feb. 7, 2022. The 2023 season is McDaniel's 17th in the NFL and second as a head coach.

In his first season at the helm, McDaniel became the fifth coach in Dolphins history to lead his team to the playoffs and just the sixth to post a winning record (9-8) in his first year. Under his leadership, multiple players reached new career milestones, including four players earning Pro Bowl selections – tackle Terron Armstead, linebacker Bradley Chubb, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and cornerback Xavien Howard. It marked the team's most Pro Bowl selections since 2016. McDaniel led the team to a playoff berth for the first time since 2016 despite starting three different quarterbacks throughout the season.

A native of Greeley, Colorado, McDaniel played wide receiver at Yale, where he graduated with a history degree. He and his wife, Katie, have one daughter, Ayla.