Miami missed out on getting Brian Daboll for its head coach, but a new name has emerged, and Tua Tagovailoa’s close circle like him for the Dolphins.
Tagovailoa trains with PER4ORM Sports of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The facility specializes in speed, strength, agility, and endurance training.
Miami did not make the playoffs in Tagovailoa’s first season as its starting quarterback, but he had good moments.
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He totaled 19 touchdowns (three rushing scores) in 2021, including five games with 2+ touchdown passes. He posted five games with a passer rating of 100 or better. Tagovailoa guided the Dolphins on a six-game winning streak when he returned from an injury versus the Bills.
Nov 1, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Flores got fired after three seasons, but Mike McDaniel has become the new target for Miami to fill its head coaching vacancy.
McDaniel, 38, has served as an offensive assistant in the National Football League since 2005. He worked from intern for the Denver Broncos (2005) to offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. McDaniel turned Deebo Samuel into an All-Pro wide receiver and running back in his third season. Samuel totaled 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards, and 15 touchdowns in the regular season.
Jimmy Garoppolo is not the most explosive quarterback, but McDaniel coached him to be a 3,000-yard passer (3,810) with 20 touchdowns and a 98.7 passer rating. San Francisco ranked seventh in the league for total offense (6,387 yards, 375.7 ypg), seventh for rushing offense (2,166 yards, 127.4 ypg), and eleventh for scoring offense (25.1 ppg).
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The 49ers got to the NFC Championship Game, despite suffering a 17-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. McDaniel spent his interview with the Dolphins stressing to general manager Chris Grier his plans to unlock Tagovailoa’s skill set as a passer.
Source: Mike McDaniel’s #Dolphins’ interview spanned much of the day, with McDaniel stressing to Chris Grier his plans on how to unlock Tua (wants a quicker passing game), and believes he can win with Tua. https://t.co/yBrDihsRHF
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 1, 2022
He believes he can win with the native Hawaiian. The team at PER4ORM gave McDaniel a ringing endorsement.
They like what he can do with Tagovailoa entering his third season.
The ‘brilliant coach’ just gets even more brilliant. I like him. https://t.co/iuNWfNNPao
— PER4ORM (@PER4ORM) February 1, 2022
Daboll was an offensive mind that unlocked Tagovailoa’s potential at Alabama in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. McDaniel could be the perfect, young offensive mind to have Tagovailoa right in the pros.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
