Throughout the Browns' search for a new head coach, associate editor and staff writer Kelsey Russo will break down the candidates as they go through the interview process with the team. Next, let's look at Mike McDaniel.
1) As the head coach for the Dolphins, McDaniel was the offensive play caller. Miami produced top 10 offenses in his first two seasons as head coach, ranking sixth in total offense with an average of 364.5 yards per game in 2022 and first with 401.3 yards per game in 2023. He also was the third head coach in Dolphins' history to make back-to-back playoff appearances in his first two seasons, joining Don Shula (1970-71) and Dave Wannstedt (2000-01).
2) McDaniel has previous ties to the Browns after serving as the wide receivers coach in Cleveland in 2014. The Browns finished with a 7-9 record that season. With the receiver unit, McDaniel helped QB Brian Hoyer to his only 3,000 yard passing season of his career. Former WR Andrew Hawkins had a career-high 63 receptions for 824 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie WR Taylor Gabriel finished second on the team with 621 receiving yards on 36 receptions, which was the second-highest total in his six-year NFL career.
3) When McDaniel was an offensive assistant with Washington for the 2011-12 seasons, he worked with three current NFL coaches – Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. In 2012, Washington finished with a 10-6 record and won the NFC East division to make the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
4) McDaniel spent two seasons coaching in the United Football League. He was the running backs coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions from 2009-10, who finished the 2009 season with a 2-4 record and the 2010 season with a 4-4 record. With the Mountain Lions, RB Cory Ross earned UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2010.
5) McDaniel was a walk-on at Yale and was a member of the team as a wide receiver from 2001-04. According to ESPN, McDaniel spent his first two years on the JV team before he was elevated to varsity his junior year. Former teammates and coaches shared stories with ESPN about McDaniel’s time at Yale: "He was all ball. And I think that from day one, he just ate the stuff up," said former Yale quarterback Jeff Mroz, who played with McDaniel from 2002 to 2005. "You can tell -- either you have a love for the game or you don't. And it was obvious that Mike had a real love for the game. I think that's kind of the root of what he's been able to build off of. There's a passion, there's a love, and if he's going to dedicate his life to it, he's got to be all-in. And Mike, from when I met him, he's always been all-in."
