Dophins Fans Are Focusing On The Wrong Coach
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins had one of the greatest head coaches of all time in Don Shula, but since he left South Beach in 1995, it hasn’t been smooth sailing with the play callers. That includes Brian Flores, who had his own issues in his time here. In Tua Tagovailoa’s recent Dan Le Batard Show interview, he had some choice words to say about the Vikings’ current defensive coordinator. It makes sense that the media would be running with those quotes. Negativity sells in today’s world, after all. But we are focusing on the wrong thing.
After the bashing of Flores, Tagovailoa highlighted how Mike McDaniel has come in and changed the entire outlook of the franchise. According to the former Alabama Crimson Tide star, Flores often would talk down to him, and tell him about how much he sucked.
“If you woke up every morning, and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right… and then you have somebody else come in and tell you ‘Dude, you are the best fit for us…’ How would it make you feel listening to one or the other?” Tagovailoa wondered.
It was clear Flores and Tua didn’t get along, and ultimately it cost Flores his job. Those days are behind the Dolphins, and it’s time to focus on the present. It’s way more fun to do that anyway, given the fact the Dolphins finally have one of the best coaches in the NFL again.
Jimmy Johnson took over to replace Shula, but he wasn’t the same coach who led the Dallas Cowboys to a couple of Super Bowls. The Dolphins finally thought they had their franchise changer in Nick Saban, but it’s clear he wasn’t cut out of the NFL game. Since Saban, some of the coaches included Tony “Gabagool” Sparano, Joe Philbin, Dan Campbell, and Adam Gase — guys who aren’t exactly the who’s who of coaching.
When McDaniel was hired, many believed he would be the next burnout in this long line of duds. But McDaniel has always been a relatable coach to his players. He has gone through ups and downs in his life, including working his way to sobriety. As a coach, he’s been able to his own life experiences to help him connect with his team. He’s risen from hard experiences, and he wants to take his players up along with him.
After being torn down by Flores, Tagovailoa took a while to open up to McDaniel, but he discovered he could depend on his new head coach to regain his confidence. Each coach has a different style of coaching, and McDaniel’s is all about positivity. McDaniel said this week that he believes that’s the best way to get the most out of his players.
“For me, I think to raise someone’s – to really maximize someone, I think it’s beneficial for someone to be showing them a vision of their greatest self. Quite honestly, it’s something that I’ve drawn [from] my life, and I know if my mother didn’t pitch to me that I was worth something, I don’t know where I’d be. “
It’s not shocking that Tagovalia feels more confident with a coach who hasn’t wavered from his support (and better yet, fought for him to get his extension over the finish line) over a coach who was trying to trade run him out of town and bring in Deshaun Watson instead.
It’s terrible that Tua lost all his confidence by the time Flores was forced out of town, but we’re in the present now. Their quarterback’s mojo has returned, and he’s leading the team alongside an elite coach.
That’s not an overstatement. When thinking about great NFL coaches, Andy Reid, Sean McVay, John Harbaugh, and Mike Tomlin come to mind, and McDaniel shares their best qualities. His stock is only going to rise further if the Dolphins can get over the hump this year. Since coming to South Beach, McDaniel has compiled a record of 20-14, but he is still searching for his first playoff win. Even with the results not happening in the playoffs, McDaniel has completely changed the culture of this club and has his squad heading in the right direction.
It can all fall apart quickly for a head coach in the NFL, and to elevate himself into that Reid/McVay/Harbaugh/Tomlin discussion nationwide, he’ll need results in the playoffs. But to be fair to McDaniel, it’s not like this Dolphins team has had a whole lot of playoff success since the ’80s.
The Dolphins have become a popular destination for players, especially on the offensive side of the ball because of McDaniel. He has created a culture that free agents want to immerse themselves in, and one where he can be tough on his players and still get the best out of them. The Dolphins need to focus on what they have now with McDaniel, not what they used to have with Flores or anyone else.
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