Dolphins sign head coach Mike McDaniel to extension through 2028

MIAMI, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- The Miami Dolphins signed head coach Mike McDaniel to a multi-year contract extension through the 2028 season, a source familiar with the pact told UPI on Friday.

McDaniel, 41, posted a 20-14 record in two seasons as Dolphins coach. Miami had the league's No. 1 offense and No. 10 defense last season. They posted the No. 6 offense and No. 18 defense in 2022.

The Dolphins fired former coach Brian Flores in 2022 and hired McDaniel a month later. He originally signed a four-year contract, and has another year remaining on that pact.

McDaniel, who spent five seasons as an offensive coordinator and run game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers before his hiring, also has been integral in the emergence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins' star, who joined the team as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, struggled to find his footing under Flores over his first two seasons.

In two years under McDaniel, Tagovailoa has produced elite statistics, leading the league in quarterback rating in 2022 and in passing yards in 2023, when he made his first Pro Bowl.

The Dolphins rewarded Tagovailoa for that success in July with a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension. Tagovailoa cited McDaniel's role in his journey several times when he met with reporters after signing the extension.

He also said McDaniel "went to bat for him" while speaking to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross amid his contract extension negotiations.

"He did what I was thinking he would do for me, and not just for me, but for any other player," Tagovailoa said. "So I'm very grateful for that."

The Dolphins, who are looking to advance to the playoffs for the third-consecutive year for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign, haven't won a playoff game since the 2000-01 postseason.

McDaniel and the Dolphins will start their 2024 regular-season campaign against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8 in Miami Gardens, Fla.