The Miami Dolphins are continuing on the path with head coach Mike McDaniel: One week before the start of the season, the 41-year-old coach's contract was extended early.
Staying in the Sunshine State long-term: Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel.
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From the beginning, the partnership between Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins was marked by success. After his move from the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, who worked first as run game coordinator and then as offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2021, he was the first Dolphins coach since Nick Saban in 2005 to win his first game. This 20-7 win against division rival New England marked the starting point for a successful season that led Miami back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Together with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and star receiver Tyreek Hill, the charismatic coach also made the 2023 NFL season a success, with only a 14:21 defeat on the final day of the regular season preventing Miami from winning the division. However, disappointment quickly followed in the playoffs: In the bitter cold of Kansas City, McDaniel's team was never able to keep up with the eventual Super Bowl winners and was eliminated after a clear 7:26 defeat.
Despite everything, the Dolphins rewarded their coach a week before the start of the new season: As Jeff Darlington of ESPN first reported, McDaniel signed a new contract that will bind him to the team until 2028.