Mike McDaniel’s tenure as head coach of the Miami Dolphins has shown flashes of brilliance, but there remains a critical element missing: consistent team success. As the 2025 season looms, McDaniel faces the daunting challenge of winning back the trust and respect of the locker room, especially with new players and the mounting pressure on him to produce tangible results.

While some players may still believe in him, others—especially those who have seen little substantial success under his leadership—are questioning whether McDaniel is the right man to lead them to the promised land.

McDaniel’s natural inclination is to be a players’ coach. He’s known for his ability to connect with players, over-communicate, and foster a relaxed environment. However, there’s a fine line between being approachable and being too lenient, especially when results on the field haven’t matched the hype. McDaniel must find the balance between maintaining his likable, personable style and asserting authority when necessary. If he’s too lax, both the team and the star players may lose focus, as was evident last season. On the other hand, being too authoritarian could come off as disingenuous and disrupt the culture he has worked hard to build.

For example, Tyreek Hill—while a tremendous asset—represents a challenge in maintaining discipline and focus. His presence in the locker room has both positive and negative impacts. If he is to return to the team in 2025, McDaniel must find a way to allow Tyreek to be himself while maintaining a standard and ensuring his behavior doesn’t disrupt the team’s collective focus.

McDaniel must also win over the new players on the team. Whether through free-agent signings or draft picks, these players don’t have the same emotional investment in McDaniel as those who have been with the team since 2022. While some of the returning players may still have confidence in their abilities, the newcomers may not share the same sentiments. These players will be watching McDaniel closely in the coming months, gauging his ability to lead them in a way that fosters growth but also demands a standard.

To maintain confidence in the locker room, McDaniel will need to set the tone early and often. This includes addressing issues like players arriving late to meetings and ensuring that every player is on the same page when it comes to discipline. Perhaps he could adopt an “orange jersey” system—similar to the one already implemented for practices—where players are marked based on their attendance and engagement during meetings.

Another approach that Dolphins fans will remember could be incorporating something like the “TNT wall” seen under Brian Flores. Not only did it help establish discipline, but it also maintained player accountability, which needs to be a tone for 2025.

Either way, we should know relatively early in the season if the team has bought in or if this has the makings of a runaway train. With McDaniel possibly fighting for his last head coaching job ever, he needs to make every moment count in the offseason but most importantly during the season when it counts and especially in-game against playoff caliber teams.

Mike McDaniel Hopes the Disappointment of 2024 Leads to Future Success