McDaniel is not packing up and leaving the sunshine any time soon. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s first two years in South Beach has left Miami thrilled and wanting more because of his offensive genius.
The Dolphins signed McDaniel to a three-year contract extension, keeping their head coach in south Florida through the 2028 season. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero confirmed on Friday, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
ESPN initially reported the news.
McDaniel first signed a four-year contract in Miami in 2022, replacing Brian Flores, putting him under contract through 2025 after 11 years working alongside Kyle Shanahan, including one year as the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator. The coach promised to bring an electric, high-octane style of offense to the ‘305’.
He passed that test with flying colors and delivered on that deal through two seasons.
In his debut season in 2022, his offense ranked sixth in yards and 11th in points. Last season, Miami climbed up the charts, ranking first in yards and second in points, thanks in large part to the wide receiver combination of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins were a stick in the mud offensively and had not ranked inside the top 10 in either category since 2001 when they were rebuilding from the retirement of Dan Marino.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe glaring concern has been in the trenches on the defensive side of the ball, where the club has sifted through its third defensive coordinator in as many seasons, with Anthony Weaver taking over for Vic Fangio, who went to the Philadelphia Eagles, in 2024.
Under McDaniel’s leadership, Miami made back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2000-2001. He is joining Dave Wannstedt and Don Shula as the only coaches in franchise history to do so. After going 26 years without a top-10 offense, Miami has fielded one in each of the past two seasons, leading the league in total yards in 2023.
The 41-year-old head coach has shown a great rapport with GM Chris Grier, and the organization has been working in concert with some of their most significant moves, including the recent big-money extension for quarterback Tagovailoa.
Miami has not won a playoff game since the 1999 season, and lost a pair of AFC wild-card games under McDaniel, when they had to play in cold weather, which is their kryptonite. However, a source told ESPN that McDaniel’s working relationships with general manager Grier, CEO Tom Garfinkel and Senior VP of Football and Business Administration Brandon Shore have convinced owner Steven Ross that he is the right man to end the playoff win drought.
“We took a chance, but I was impressed by him,” Ross said in an interview with CBS Miami this preseason. “I mean, his intelligence and as a person he’s unique certainly, and he’s doing a great job. Everybody loves him.”
With McDaniel and the key on-field pieces locked in for the foreseeable future, the focus now is on snapping the unacceptable 24-year playoff-win drought.
