On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers announced the promotion of Mike McDaniel as the team's offensive coordinator. McDaniel spent the last four seasons with the 49ers and has over 14 years of NFL coaching experience, including 13 years with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Here are five things to know about the 49ers new offensive coordinator:
1. Humble Beginnings
As a youth, McDaniel attended the Denver Broncos training camp at the University of Northern Colorado, where he met video staffer Gary McCune (The relationship came about after McDaniel cried after losing his hat at a practice and McCune got him a new one). Years later during his time in college, McDaniel would come home for the summer and work with the Broncos. Upon graduating college, McDaniel's coaching career began in 2005 when he was hired by the Denver Broncos as an intern under head coach Mike Shanahan.
He didn't link up with Kyle Shanahan until the following season as the two served as members of the Houston Texans offensive staff under head coach Gary Kubiak. (McDaniel served as an offensive assistant and Shanahan was the wide receivers coach).
2. Reunited (and it feels so good)
Kyle Shanahan has worked with McDaniel longer than anyone else in the league. After serving as the Texans offensive assistant for three seasons, McDaniel went on to coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions, a part of the now-defunct United Football League, for two seasons. In 2011, McDaniel rejoined Shanahan with the then-Washington Redskins, as an offensive coordinator. Since, the two have continued to climb the coaching ranks together with stops at the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and now 49ers.
3. Fast Start
From 2009-10, McDaniel served as running backs coach with the Mountain Lions. Under his tutelage, running back Cory Ross earned UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2010.
McDaniel spent his first four seasons in San Francisco as the 49ers run game coordinator (2018-20) and run game specialist (2017). Over the last two seasons (2019-20), San Francisco's offense has averaged 131.1 rushing yards per game, ranking sixth in the NFL over that span. The team finished the 2019 season ranked second in the NFL and first in the NFC in that same category, averaging 144.1 rushing yards per game. The 49ers 42 rushing touchdowns since 2019 are tied for the third-most in the NFL, and tied for the most in the NFC in that span.
While working with running backs coach Robert Turner Jr. and former offensive line coach John Benton, the 2019 San Francisco 49ers led the NFL with 23 rushing touchdowns and ranked second in rushing yards per game (144.1). The 49ers ground attack featured three players with 500-or-more rushing yards in a single season (Raheem Mostert – 772; Matt Breida – 623; Tevin Coleman – 544) for just the second time in franchise history (1954 - three players).
4. High Marks
During his time in Washington, he served as an offensive assistant (2011-12) and later moved to wide receivers coach in 2013. In his lone season as wide receivers coach, McDaniel worked with former 49ers wideout Pierre Garçon, who led the NFL and set a franchise record with 113 receptions. His total surpassed Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk's mark of 106, which lasted 29 years.
In 2016 with the Falcons, McDaniel worked with wide receivers coach Raheem Morris, as wide receiver Julio Jones reached 1,000 receiving yards for the third-consecutive season. He was also a part of Jones' development as he passed former 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice for second all-time in the single-season receiving yards list, with 1,871 yards.
5. Ivy League Credentials
McDaniel played wide receiver at Yale University. He went on to earn a degree in history.
