Is Josh McDaniels related to Mike McDaniel? Raiders HC's family explored

Las Vegas Raiders HC Josh McDaniels is one of the most accomplished offensive coordinators in NFL history, winning six Super Bowls as part of Bill Belichick's dynasty at New England. On the other hand, Mike McDaniel is one of the more exciting offensive-minded head coaches in today's NFL.

However, contrary to popular belief, Mike McDaniel and Josh McDaniels, despite their similar surnames and notable roles in today's NFL, aren't family. Contrary to what many assume due to their overlapping careers and very identical last names, these two head coaches are not related.

Josh McDaniels' coaching career

As stated above, Josh McDaniels earned his reputation as Bill Belichick's offensive coordinator on some of the most dominant New England Patriots teams of all time. In fact, McDaniels was the OC on six of the Patriots' Super Bowl wins in the 2000s.

After his first spell with the Patriots, Josh McDaniels decided to throw his hat into the head coaching profession. The Denver Broncos appointed him to be their head coach ahead of the 2009 NFL season.

Unfortunately, this move didn't go well for all the parties involved. McDaniels had an 8-8 record in 2009, barely holding on to his job as a result. He lasted for 12 games in 2010, after which he was fired due to a 3–9 record.

After his unsuccessful first foray into head coaching, McDaniels went back to doing what he always did best, being an offensive coordinator. He enjoyed stints at the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots between 2011 and 2021.

McDaniels left the Patriots for the second time ahead of the 2022 NFL season to take over the Las Vegas Raiders. He remains in the role and looks to have decent job security in Las Vegas as of Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season.

Mike McDaniel's coaching career

On the other hand, Mike McDaniel has had a more zigzagged way to the head coaching gig in the NFL. First off, Mike McDaniel started as a ball boy for the Denver Broncos before he secured the role of coaching intern with the Broncos in 2005.

After his time with the Broncos, McDaniel was hired as a resident offensive assistant for the Houston Texans in 2006. He learned the Houston way during his time in Texas and left the franchise in 2008 to secure a role with the California Redwoods / Sacramento Mountain Lions as their running back coach.

McDaniel stayed in the now-defunct UFL football league for two seasons before retracing his steps back to the National Football League. He was hired as an offensive assistant for the Washington Redskins ahead of the 2011 NFL season.

Since then, McDaniels has remained in the NFL, working for the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers in various offensive coaching capacities.

McDaniel eventually got his dream job when the Miami Dolphins appointed him as their head coach on February 6, 2022. He has since molded the franchise to arguably the fastest offense in NFL history, a true testament to his coaching ability.