Dolphins brass dodges questions about Flores’ lawsuit, but McDaniel says ‘no red flags’
Mike McDaniel said there were “absolutely no red flags” about taking the job as coach of the Miami Dolphins, even after commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL will investigate Brian Flores’ allegations Stephen M. Ross offered him money to lose games and encouraged the former coach to violate league tampering rules.
A little more than a week after Flores filed his league-shaking racial-discrimination lawsuit, the Dolphins officially introduced McDaniel as their new coach Thursday, meaning Ross (the team owner) and Chris Grier (the general manager) made their first public appearances since Flores’ lawsuit, which he filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 1, accused the organization of wrongdoing.
Ross and Grier, however, did not take questions at McDaniel’s introductory news conference in Miami Gardens, leaving the first-time coach to speak for the whole organization on a topic the Dolphins desperately wanted to avoid clouding an important day. They couldn’t avoid it long, though: After the three all gave prepared remarks at the podium inside the Baptist Health Training Complex across from Hard Rock Stadium, the first question McDaniel faced asked whether there were any concerns about coming to Miami in this controversial moment.
“I can honestly say there was absolutely no red flags,” said McDaniel, 38. The reason why was because I was stepping into an organization with a boss that I don’t think people give him his proper due. There’s a lot of people in professional sports that are out to make money. I can’t lie: I feel like if I had spent that much money, I would want to make a lot of money, but, like I said, when you walk in that door, you look at every single detail within this building, you look at the people that are hired ... there’s no cost too high for winning for him. And when you’re in multiple organizations, you realize that’s not always the case. The city of Miami really is lucky to have an owner that — right, wrong or indifferent — all he cares about is winning and, as a coach, that is all you are literally looking for.”
The specific allegations, as detailed in Flores’ 58-page lawsuit, accuse Ross of offering Flores $100,000 per loss in the 2019 NFL season as the Dolphins tried to tank for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and claim Ross tried to facilitate a meeting between Flores and “a prominent quarterback” in 2020 in a manner which would have violated league rules. Flores and his lawyers say they have corroborating evidence of the $100,000 offer, and former assistant to the head coach Lance Bennett has told lawyers he witnessed the offer and would be willing to back up the claims, Outkick.com reported.
If the allegations are true, NFL owners could vote to force Ross to sell the team.
The organization denied both allegations last week through statements, but no one from the franchise has answered questions about the lawsuit. On Thursday, Ross and Grier only made veiled references to Flores’ departure, mostly by pointing out McDaniel’s strengths in a way that stands in contrast with Flores.
“I’ve always preached: It’s really about the team, in every aspect. It’s the players there, but it’s really us as the owner general manager, the CEO working together,” said Ross, who, on the day he fired Flores last month, said the organization needed to improve its “collaboration and communication.”
Said Grier, of Flores’ replacement: “He’s wants to genuinely know who people are and connect with them, and get to the why’s and that’s what makes him a unique person in terms of getting the best out of people.”
Ethnicity conversation ‘been very odd’
Especially in the wake of Flores’ lawsuit, McDaniel’s ethnicity has become an odd topic of fascination on social media and in certain corners of the NFL fandom.
“It’s been very odd,” said McDaniel, who is biracial.
McDaniel specifically mentioned the concept of “identifying” as biracial, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter phrased it on Twitter on Sunday, and said he identifies “as a human being” and said his family members have dealt with racism, even though he hasn’t experienced any firsthand because of his extremely light-skinned appearance.
“My dad is Black, so whatever you want to call it,” McDaniel said. “My background opens my eyes a little bit. I don’t have any real experience with racism ... but I know my mom experienced it when she married my dad, I know my dad experienced it and that it’s in my family. I guess that makes me a human being that can identify with other people’s problems.”
McDaniel expounds on teaching methods
Although he’s only 38, McDaniel has been coaching in the NFL in various capacities since 2005 and said figuring out the best methods to teach players is “an evolving process,” especially with the proliferation of social media and the societal shortening of attention spans.
Two things are consistent in his methods, though: He tries to tell “a linear story” and he uses tons of tape.
“People can attach to ideas when they are in a linear story,” McDaniel said. “You can go from point A to point B to point C. I’ve been fortunate within the scheme to coach every single position in this offense. Whether you’re dealing with different players or different personalities, that is one true common denominator is you have to have a starting point of understanding that you can bridge to the next point.
“Beyond that? Tape, video, editing cut ups and organizing them so that you can battle that ADD issue that was aforementioned. Those things are powerful things that will be prominent with our coaches, that we really invest our time and understand how valuable the player’s time is, how short term attention spans are. You better bring some energy, you better entertain them while getting them to learn whatever it is, but you always have to listen, ask questions, see if they get it and adjust.”
McDaniel plans to call plays
Although McDaniel was part of leading one of the league’s best offenses this season, he has never been the sole, primary playcaller at the NFL level.
That will change this season, he said. McDaniel will call offensive plays for Miami in 2022, he said, but he expects it to be a collaborative effort.
“I plan on calling plays myself, but one thing that I’ve noticed in my journey is that successful playcallers don’t isolate themselves,” McDaniel said. “They utilize the people around them. That’s what a head coach should do. I’m not up here doing anything by myself. After this press conference ends, I’m not going to be going into a hole and hanging out by myself and thinking about stuff. You’re working with people.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 1:26 PM.
