NFL Rumors: 49ers OC Mike McDaniel now firm favorite to be next Dolphins HC

While the NFL season is wrapping up for most teams, some teams are starting something new and looking to the future. After parting ways with Brian Flores, the Dolphins appear to have a favorite to become their new head coach. Brace yourselves -- because the Dolphins are likely going in a completely new direction.

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel appears to be in the driver's seat to win the head coaching job, according to NFL Rumors.

Who is Mike McDaniel?

Washington Football Team 2011 Headshots

First and foremost, Mike McDaniel is the current offensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Many fans see him as the new next generation of coaches. However, McDaniel has been around for quite a while, according to Pro Football Reference.

His time spent with the NFL can be traced back to 2005, when he was an interned for the Denver Broncos. In 2006, he became an offensive assistant for the Houston Texans. He remained with the Texans until 2009, when he took a detour out of the NFL and landed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions as a running backs coach in the UFL.

In 2011, he returned to the Washington Football Team, where he coached with Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFluer as an offensive assistant and wide receivers coach. He went to the Cleveland Browns in 2014 as a wide receivers coach. From 2015-2016, he worked for the Atlanta Falcons as an offensive assistant.

He followed Shanahan over to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, where he served as the run game coordinator until 2020. This season, he was promoted to be the offensive coordinator. Now, he is the favorite to land with the Dolphins.

Why do the Dolphins like Mike McDaniel?

New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins

The coach has likely benefited from his long working relationship with Kyle Shanahan. Put simply, the Dolphins are hoping to land the next "Shanahan" for their shiny new quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa.

With Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa and DeVante Parker on the roster, Miami likely thinks they have something special on offense. They would like to maximize their chances next season with an offense-first mindset. Looking at the AFC, one could argue that every team entering the divisional round of the playoffs is offense-focused.

As such, Miami needs more firepower to keep up. It also doesn't help that the team shares a division with the Buffalo Bills. For the team, this would be a move to get with the times. Brian Flores is a solid coach, but he landed on the wrong side of the ball in terms of strengths.

Will McDaniel take the team to new heights? One can only wait and see.