“Important for me to do my job the right way” - Mike McDaniel gets candid on being in the hot seat next season

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is using the pressure on his shoulders as motivation for the upcoming season. In 2024, the Dolphins missed the post-season for the first time since Mike McDaniel took charge in February 2022, leading many to speculate that his job might be in jeopardy if the Dolphins fail to perform well in 2025.

Speaking to NBC’s “Pro Football Focus” on Monday, McDaniel talked about the pressure he’s under next season.

“I think it’s important for me to do my job the right way," McDaniel said via the Palm Beach Post. "That I never look at any sort of entitlement. . . . Every year, to me, if you’re not feeling heat on the seat, you have the wrong urgency."

The Dolphins went 8-9 in 2024, finishing second in the AFC East. That was McDaniel’s first losing season as the team’s head coach. According to the former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator though, accountability as a head coach is essential.

“It should be that way every year. This is not my gift. It’s an incredible responsibility that I only sign up for because I believe I’m the best person suited for.”

McDaniel added that coaching security is:

“The fastest changing world in sports”

In 2024, four of Miami’s nine losses were by a single score.

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Mike McDaniel’s achievements as Dolphins head coach

While last season was anything but memorable for Mike McDaniel, he has put together some fine campaigns on the Dolphins’ sidelines. He’s only the third head coach in club history to make the playoffs in his first two seasons. In 2022, they were 9-8, while they improved to 11-6 in 2023.

His 2023 campaign was particularly strong. The Dolphins’ offense was the top-ranked in the NFL during the regular season, averaging 401.3 yards per game. They also finished first in the league regarding passing yards per game (265.5).

It was the first time since 1994 that Miami had the best offense in the regular season. That season earned McDaniel a contract extension with the club, which will keep him tied to the Dolphins until 2028. His original contract was set to expire at the end of the 2025 campaign.

One thing McDaniel has yet to do is win a playoff game as a head coach. Two seasons ago, Miami lost 26-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round and was narrowly beaten 34-31 by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the 2022 season.