Mike McDaniel should be the next Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins

Reports are pouring in that Brian Daboll is the favorite to land a Head Coaching job with the Miami Dolphins

Report: Brian Daboll has ‘solid support’ inside Miami Dolphins organization https://t.co/axV1DUd3VE

— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) January 25, 2022

Daboll is the current Bills offensive coordinator and was QB Tua Tagovailoa’s offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017.

I am told they are in the final reviewing stages of a finalized contract to hire.

If he accepts it is looking like Brian Daboll will be the new coach of the Miami Dolphins after a search that included several names, including Vance Joseph and Thomas Brown and others. https://t.co/JLpCVlhCbr

— Jason Sarney (@Jason_Sarney) January 27, 2022

Many inside the organization advocate for Brian Daboll, his success with Josh Allen in Buffalo; however, it ties back to his relationship with Tua Tagovailoa.

The more I think about offensively from an X's and O's standpoint, the hire should be Mike McDaniel.

If the team is all in on Tua, then you get the guy that will help not only him, but the entire Offense.

— Hussam Patel virtually @ Senior Bowl (@HussamPatel) January 28, 2022

While the NFL and GM Chris Grier is all about relationships inside the front office, on the field it isn’t.

The New Era

Enter Mike McDaniel, 49ers offensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan. McDaniel, a protege of the Mike Shanahan wide zone offense, would fit Tua and the offense as a whole.

The Shanahan offense is coupled with the wide zone running game and a west coast passing attack. This type of offense helped the Denver Broncos win in 1998, thrusted  fourth-round backup Kirk Cousins in Washington, elevated a solid QB in Matt Ryan to an MVP in 2016. 

Mike Shanahan coaching tree:

– Gary Kubiak
– Sean McVay
– Kyle Shanahan
– Matt LaFluer
– Kevin Stefanski

Next man in line on that coaching tree?

-Mike McDaniel

— King of 🅿️hinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) January 22, 2022

Look back to Shanahan’s offense with Jimmy Garrapolo and Sean McVay’s offense with Jared Goff.

Both offenses had playmaking WR’s, TE’s and RB’s to help the QB out along with a tactical offensive line suited for the zone game. Not to mention really good defenses that paved the way for deep playoff runs.

McDaniel, learning under both Shanahan’s tutelage and developing a relationship with McVay and Matt LeFluer along the way makes him one of the few coaches that understand offensive football really well.

Nobody in the NFL is like Mike McDaniel. https://t.co/aff8kk23tu

— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 28, 2022

The basic version of the offense works like this: wide zone runs, under-center play-action dropbacks, crossers over the middle of the field. Seems familiar to Tua’s offense at Alabama.

Both Kyle Shanahan, with McDaniel, and Sean McVay ran the same type of offense with different wrinkles in the game.

McVay loves to use 11 Personnel with 3 WR’s and uses Robert Woods to create mismatches on defense. Shanahan uses more of a 21 Personnel look with 2 RB’s, 1 TE, 2 WR’s.

If both coaches are able to use the same philosophy, which has worked well in the Modern Era. McDaniel can too.

Implementation

The whole “Leader of Men” mantra which exists about NFL Head Coaches is from an old era. The modernity of the NFL has come down to not who can lead a team, but a coach that can invest into players and make them understand what it is all about.

That’s who McDaniel is, it’s what he has done the last 17 years in the league

McDaniel can make his mark, if chosen as the next HC to improve the menial Dolphins Offense by implementing the Shanahan scheme and developing Tua Tagovailoa.

Currently, the 49ers scheme is mainly game-planned by McDaniel, and is built on maximizing weapons. 

Miami has some offensive Weapons in Jaylen Waddle, Lynn Bowden Jr, and Mike Gesicki. However, they need more along with an offensive line.The Dolphins have struggled the last three seasons in maximizing their playmakers and just got to the use of pre-snap motions last season.

Mike McDaniel on Deebo Samuel: "This is uncharted territory for all of us, the coaching staff and the player…. He's not a receiver. He's a football player at the receiver position who also can play running back and we treat him as such and he would have it no other way.”

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 28, 2022

McDaniels with the 49ers have put their playmakers in positions to succeed by motioning receivers and running backs across formation and in the backfield.

Fixing the past

The Miami Dolphins have never fielded a top 15 offense, but have wielded great defenses in the past. 

Currently, the Dolphins have defensive playmakers locked up beyond 2023 and are rumored to keep the current defensive staff intact.

Time and Time again, the Dolphins have failed to support recent franchise quarterbacks with never ending offensive line troubles, lackluster running game play and minuscule playmakers.

Vance Joseph shouldn't be in the running at this point, and I'm not entirely sure what plan C would be.

The job is likely McDaniel's for the taking if he wants it. It's not hard to imagine the things he could do with the Dolphins offense.

— Chris Spooner (@SpoonfulofSport) January 28, 2022

Now, Miami has an uber-talented defense, a decent crop of offensive playmakers which can be improved through the draft, and a QB that fits the Shanahan system like a glove.

So likely Daboll unless Mike McDaniel leaves Ross as excited as Gase once did, or Daboll takes Giants job first. Jerry Jones told Dallas media that Kellen Moore – one of the Dolphins' three second interviews next week – is expected to stay with Cowboys https://t.co/wHYN5JeSMM

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 28, 2022

All it takes is a coach that can implement changes to turnaround a lackluster offensive line and make changes to support Tua Tagovailoa. That coach is Mike McDaniel.

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