'You Wouldn't Believe The Calls & Texts': Dolphins GM Chris Grier Gushes About New Head Coach Mike McDaniel
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Mike McDaniel, the 11th head coach in Dolphins history, met the media on Thursday. He was engaging and humorous, confirming his reputation.
Also speaking were general manager Chris Grier and owner Stephen Ross. Both expressed enthusiasm in their new leader.
"We are excited that Mike is here and we look forward to him working with us and Chris and creating a team that will win Super Bowls," said Ross.
Ross is looking forward to a new era of football with McDaniel as head coach.
GM Grier thinks they have the right person to lead the way.
"You wouldn't believe the calls and texts, like Steve said, just from players that he had connected with over the years, former players at his former teams. Agents calling us just about the relationships that he's built over the years and how respectful he was in terms of guiding those players through adversity and things like that," Grier said.
McDaniel says coaching is a relationship business and Grier is already seeing signs of that.
"It was a clear choice. I mean you guys have heard everything about Mike – his intelligence, his passion, his work ethic. The people who have meet him in this building over the last 48 hours have all talked about the energy level and how he is," Grier said. "He spent time. New coaches come in, its not easy. They'll come in and spend five minutes with people. He's literally in there still talking for like an hour with people."
At times, the general manager was ready to make the hire, but the owner preached patience, and being thorough in their search.
"Steve was like, 'Hey, you know, let's make sure we make sure we do this as thoroughly and correct as we can.' I thank Steve for his patience," Grier said.
And Ross had plenty of input, including some unsolicited from some of his new coach's competitors.
"I had coaches in his former division calling me and telling me how great he was and I said, 'Why you calling?' And he said, 'Really, to get him out of the division.'"
McDaniel is now in the AFC East, and a head coach for the first time at age 38. But he won't change a thing about who he is.
"People respond to authenticity. So I have been working at my personality my entire career, which is what you are seeing right now. That was established with me early that people can smell when you are trying to be something that you are not and people respect you when you are who you are," he said.
McDaniel grew up in Colorado and would ride his bike to Broncos training camp every day as a kid to get autographs. It was then that he realized how much work had to be put in to be successful. Those lessons have stayed with him as he starts a new chapter as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
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