All Dolphins

McDaniel Gets New Deal

The Miami Dolphins are signing head coach Mike McDaniel to a contract extension through the 2028 season

Alain Poupart

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel looks on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel looks on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
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Mike McDaniel has done some good things since becoming Miami Dolphins head coach, and now he's been rewarded for his efforts.

The Dolphins have signed McDaniel to a contract extension through the 2028 season, according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington.

In his two seasons as head coach, McDaniel guided the Dolphins to the playoffs each time. The back-to-back appearances were Miami's first since it appeared five times in a row from 1997 through 2001.

The Dolphins' offense has thrived with McDaniel serving as the play-caller. They finished sixth in total yards in 2022 and first last season, when they also were second in points scored.

It was also under McDaniel's guidance and tutelage that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa emerged as a quarterback. After two forgettable seasons under then-head coach Brian Flores, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating in 2022, then led the NFL in passing yards and earned his first Pro Bowl invitation in 2023.

If he finished out the terms of his new contract extension, McDaniel would become the second-longest-running Dolphins head coach behind only the legendary Don Shula. Dave Wannstedt currently has the second-longest stint at four-plus seasons.

The extension completes the Dolphins' commitment to what they started in 2022 after McDaniel arrived. His deal comes after the Dolphins also gave new (and significant) deals to Tagovailoa and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.