The Miami Dolphins want Mike McDaniel to stay with them for a long time.
McDaniel, who became just the third Dolphins coach to lead the team to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, signed a contract on Friday that keeps him with the team through the 2028 season. His original contract was set to end in 2025.
A source who wished to remain anonymous confirmed the news to The Associated Press, as ESPN was the first to report it and the deal had not yet been officially announced.
In his two seasons with the Dolphins, McDaniel has guided the team to a 20-14 record. He was hired in 2022 to replace Brian Flores. This was McDaniel’s first head coaching job in his nearly 20-year career, and he led the Dolphins to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since the 2000-01 seasons.
McDaniel quickly gained attention in Miami, both for his witty and quirky personality and for the rapid success of the team’s offense, which had been a long-standing issue for the Dolphins.
His creative play calling and complex rushing attack have been highlights of his coaching style. McDaniel has adapted and improved parts of the offensive scheme he learned from Mike Shanahan while working with him in Washington.
In 2023, under McDaniel’s leadership, Miami led the NFL in total offense, passing offense, yards per rush, and explosive plays of more than 10 yards.
McDaniel has also excelled at maximizing his players’ performance. A major success story of his time with the Dolphins is the improvement of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has frequently credited McDaniel for rebuilding his confidence, which he had lost under the previous coach, Flores.
