Dolphins Lock Up Coach Mike McDaniel Through 2028 With Contract Extension

Miami has reportedly made a commitment to its third-year boss.

Aug 23, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

As their season opener looms, the Miami Dolphins appear to have secured coach Mike McDaniel's services for the long haul.

McDaniel and the Dolphins have agreed to a new deal that will run through the 2028 season, according to a Friday morning report from Jeff Darlington of ESPN.

Miami hired McDaniel—then the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator—on Feb. 6, 2022. Results were instant: the Dolphins jumped from 25th in total offense in 2021 to sixth in '22 to first in 2023.

Meanwhile, Miami made its first back-to-back playoff appearances since earning five postseason berths in a row from 1997 to 2001.

McDaniel, a former Yale wide receiver, has won praise from players, peers, observers and fans for his personable approach to coaching.

"If you woke up every morning and I told you you suck at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right... and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, 'Dude, you are the best fit for us, you are accurate, you are the best.' How would it make you feel listening to one or the other?" Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said of McDaniel in a widely publicized interview with Dan Le Batard on Aug. 19.

The Dolphins are scheduled to open their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8.

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