Did Mike McDaniel play football? Revisiting Dolphins HC's college career at Yale

Mike McDaniel is a welcoming representation for the new era of National Football League (NFL) coaches. Not only is he charismatic as a manager but McDaniel also has a bright football brain.

Having spent years developing some of the most successful frameworks in the game, McDaniel took on his long-awaited leadership job with the Miami Dolphins. He has transformed them into an offensive juggernaut and a promising contender this season. In this article we will take a look at the trajectory of his football career before he delved into the coaching side of the game.

It's interesting to note that some NFL coaches haven't had long careers as professionals in the league. However, their ability to coach others and in-depth knowledge of the game has helped them stand out and rise to important positions. McDaniel, a Colorado native, was a wide receiver for Yale in the early 2000s but never competed professionally.

McDaniel played football and track at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado, before getting admitted to Yale. According to his Yale football biography, he participated in two sports in high school and was named to the first and second teams in the city and league.

As a junior, McDaniel featured in the Yale squads in 2001 and 2002 before moving up to the position of backup wideout in 2003. Although he reportedly shed five pounds between his junior and senior seasons, his Yale University player profile does not include any statistical figure from his time on the squad.

Mike McDaniel has a wealth of NFL coaching experience

Even though Mike McDaniel was appointed head coach for the first time last season, he had a ton of experience from other league positions before then.

Before taking charge at Miami in February 2022, McDaniel had experienced coaching with numerous NFL clubs and different coaches across the league. The 40-year-old has worked coaches like Wes Welker, DeMeco Ryans, Dan Quinn, Sean McVay, Robert Saleh, and Kyle Shanahan.

In 2005, Mike McDaniel interned as a coach for the Denver Broncos, landing him his first NFL coaching job. He has since worked with teams that have made appearances in Super Bowls and conference title games.

Under Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers hired Mike McDaniel in 2017 to oversee their run game. He was then elevated to offensive coordinator in January 2021, following Mike LaFleur's departure. He worked there for four years as a run game coordinator. McDaniel became the head coach of the Dolphins in 2022 as a result of his outstanding job with the offense of the Niners.