Mike McDaniel looks at how to coach players while commenting on the Dolphins’ offseason
The Miami Dolphins’ decision to hire Mike McDaniel in 2022 represented a distinct change in coaching style from the previous administration.
Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores had a defensive mind, while McDaniel held the offensive coordinator job for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. Each brought a different personality and took different approaches to player behavior.
The New York Jets defeated the Dolphins last Sunday, dropping their record to 8-9. While Miami finished the 2022 and 2023 seasons with winning records and postseason berths, this season’s sub-.500 record kept the Dolphins out of the playoffs for the first time under McDaniel.
Missing the playoffs also fueled McDaniel’s final preseason media availability.
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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel prepares to call a timeout during the Colts game, Oct. 20, 2024 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
McDaniel made some concessionaires speak during the press session, suggesting he may have given players too much leeway at times. The Dolphins’ third-year coach also pointed out that handing out penalties doesn’t have a certain level of efficiency.
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“I can fine people until they’re blue in the face. I can take their money, I can yell at them,” said McDaniel. “But until they understand that part of the reason we are there [this] the position is manageable, and what we have to do [have]with absolute certainty, it has no tolerance for anything else, we have to clean up the controllable things and we can have a chance to succeed together.”
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel reacts as Miami Dolphins linebacker Skylar Thompson is evaluated on the field during a game against the Seahawks, Sept. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
While McDaniel stopped short of naming any specific player, he did point out that the Dolphins had “a lot of criminals.” He then doubled down on his belief that the fines were not enough, before noting that any internal problems that arose during the season had not spread.
“Some people… I don’t think it was all… There were a lot of guys who had some fines before that didn’t. There were people who had that, you know, I think there are different ways to deal with that,” McDaniel told reporters. “We showed as a team that continuing to fine the boys was not enough, so I will not continue to put all the blame on the young people who had many crimes.”
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel looks at his score sheet during a wild card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, Jan. 15, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Still, McDaniel made it clear he’s ready to make changes. “I will adjust my plan and make sure that the team is informed whenever things are done that are not compatible with winning football matches,” he said.
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McDaniel’s contract with the Dolphins ties him to the franchise through the 2028 season.
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