SANTA CLARA, Calif. — We’ll get to Josh McDaniels’ head coaching record soon, but first, he deserves some flowers.
McDaniels returns to the Super Bowl, which is familiar ground for him. He was one of only six New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. He served as an assistant coach on the first three championship teams (as personnel assistant in 2001, defensive assistant in 2003, and quarterbacks coach in 2004) and as offensive coordinator on the last three teams.
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This time is different, and potentially historic. McDaniels returns without head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Now it’s Mike Vrabel and Derek Meyer, the latter of whom became an MVP candidate in Meyer’s second season with the help of McDaniels.
Having a great season without Brady and elevating Meyer to star level is impressive, as well: If the Patriots win Super Bowl X, it will be McDaniels’ fourth Super Bowl ring as a coordinator. That would tie Steve Spagnuolo for the most Super Bowl wins as a coordinator in the NFL. McDaniels doesn’t turn 50 until April.
“That means I’m surrounded by a lot of great people,” McDaniels said Wednesday during the Patriots’ Super Bowl XL media conference. “We wouldn’t be here without a great group of guys in the organization helping us get the job done. The players deserve the greatest credit for all of the things we’ve had in the past.
“You try to do the best you can in your role and help the team win, and if you’re so lucky and blessed to be a part of this, you cherish it.”
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Some question whether Spagnuolo deserves consideration as a potential Pro Football Hall of Famer. No coach is in the Hall of Fame primarily for his work as a coordinator. Maybe it’s time to talk about McDaniels.
However, this is complicated.
Josh McDaniels is chasing his seventh Super Bowl ring and fourth as a coordinator. (Yahoo Sports/Hassan Ahmed)
The unusual career of Josh McDaniels
It’s hard to reconcile these two facts: McDaniels is one of the most accomplished coordinators in NFL history. If he doesn’t get another chance to lead the team, he will also be regarded as the worst NFL head coach in recent years.
McDaniels had two chances to become head coach, but was fired both times mid-season as the team burned. McDaniels has an 11-17 record as Broncos head coach, coming off a 6-0 start. He was fired amid losses and controversy; he was fined $50,000 for filming a 49ers practice video before the team played in London.
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McDaniels also had a rough time with the Las Vegas Raiders. He went 9-16 and was fired during a team meeting in which players blasted McDaniels’ coaching style.
Those two stops don’t include the time McDaniels accepted the Indianapolis Colts head coaching job in 2018 but never got on a plane to Indianapolis, choosing instead to quit the job and stay in New England as offensive coordinator.
He’s definitely had his ups and downs throughout his career as a coach.
“That’s football,” McDaniels said. “The game of football is an imperfect game. I try to learn every year, every week and try to get better.
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“Failures in your career are a lot like failures in other areas of your life. You probably learn the most from them. I had the opportunity to grow from things I didn’t do, and hopefully I made the most of those things and tried to be the best version of myself in the future.”
In most other cases, a coach who is over 50 years old, is considered an offensive prodigy, has just developed a second-year quarterback into an MVP candidate and is about to reach the Super Bowl would be at the top of many teams’ head coaching candidate lists. No coordinator hired this cycle has a better assistant coaching resume than McDaniels. But a coach who went 20-33 in his first two stops as head coach doesn’t usually get a third chance, especially when McDaniels carries so much baggage at the position.
“Every day is a day for me right now,” McDaniels said of the possibility of being a head coach again. “I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m very happy to be here, doing what I’m doing, and I love my job. I love the role that I’m in. I love the team that I’m on. Whatever the plans are for the future, we’ll figure it out. But I’m very happy with where I am right now.”
McDaniels a big part of Derek Meyer’s breakthrough
Whatever issues have hindered McDaniels’ success as a head coach, there’s no denying his football talent.
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The Patriots went 4-13 last season, and McDaniels took the year off after a tough loss to the Raiders. Mike Vrabel was hired by New England, he hired McDaniels to run the offense, and the Patriots went 14-3. Meyer leads the NFL with a 72% pass completion rate and 8.9 yards per attempt.
Vrabel has received a lot of accolades and will likely win NFL Coach of the Year when it’s announced on Thursday. Of course, McDaniels was also a big part of this championship season.
“Josh is always on top,” Patriots receiver KeShon Bout said. “He studies the other team well with the game plan. I always feel like he’s one step ahead.
“The thing that impressed me the most was I’d never had an offensive coordinator that was really hands-on and always one step ahead.”
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McDaniels’ success isn’t just about using the right route concepts to beat Cover-3 defenses. Meyer, the second-youngest quarterback in Super Bowl history, looked frustrated on the bench during the Patriots’ AFC Championship win over the Broncos. The weather was cold and windy, and the fields were covered with snow.
“It’s hard,” Meyer said as he took the microphone. “Oh my God.”
McDaniels told Meyer with a laugh: “Listen to me. Look at me. This is going to be difficult. But look, if we can get it done, it’s going to be the most meaningful six-and-a-half minutes of our lives.”
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New England capped off the victory with Meyer’s first score, which allowed the Patriots to run out the clock.
When McDaniels and Brady worked together, it wasn’t uncommon for the two to get into heated arguments on the sidelines. It’s part of their relationship. Meyer’s quiet moments on the bench in Denver aren’t part of McDaniels’ reputation.
“As a coach, you try to do the right thing, no matter what time it is, whether it’s in the office on a Tuesday night or on the bench in the fourth quarter of a playoff game,” McDaniels said when asked about that moment on the bench. “Whatever they need from you, whatever they need in that moment, is what you should really try to give them.
“I have four kids, ages 13 to 21, and they need as much guidance and wisdom as my wife and I can give them. I still think that’s part of my job as a coach.”