Short in stature with a pair of glasses, Mike McDaniel does not resemble your prototypical hard-man NFL coach, but he is certainly getting the job done with the Miami Dolphins this season.
The Dolphins lead the AFC East with an 8-3 record and they are on course for a play-off place for the first time since 2016, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle forming arguably the league's best wide receiver duo.
But perhaps McDaniel's biggest success so far is putting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in a situation where he can thrive. Blessed with electric receivers and an inventive scheme, the former Alabama standout is having his best season as a pro by far, throwing 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions with a rating above 115.
In addition to making an excellent start as a rookie head coach, McDaniel has also established himself as one of the league's most interesting personalities and fans are calling for him to be mic'd up every week after a hilarious exchange with Tagovailoa on the sidelines during Sunday's 30-15 win against the Houston Texans, admitting to the 24-year-old that he was not a fan of his tape as a high-school player.
"Last night, I couldn't sleep," McDaniel said to his QB while being recorded for Inside the NFL. "I woke up at 3am and I couldn't go back to sleep. I was thinking about when you randomly hit me up that you were YouTubing me.
"So I YouTubed you and I saw this Trent Dilfer thing, showing all this high-school s*** from you. Bro, your technique was trash. It was cool though because you could see little elements and a swag, but you were stressed out."
Another clip gathered attention on social media, with McDaniel playfully saying into Tagovailoa's earpiece that "Georgia is definitely the best SEC school", poking fun at his QB's alma mater Alabama, who lost to the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff earlier this year.
"Word on the streets is that he thinks I'm a weirdo," McDaniel later joked with his coaching staff through his headset after Tagovailoa walked away. "Do you know how non-offensive I find 'Wierdo'?"
Jokes aside, the Dolphins face one of the toughest matchups on their schedule on Sunday when they take on the San Francisco 49ers, where McDaniel was a coordinator for five seasons. The Niners (7-4) are finding their form and are one of the standout contenders in the NFC.
A road win for McDaniel and company against his former mentor Kyle Shannahan would be the latest statement victory for a Fins team that looks set to be a big player in the AFC play-off picture by the time January rolls around.
