Josh McDaniels facts for kids
McDaniels in 2017
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| New England Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive coordinator |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 22, 1976 Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Canton McKinley (OH) |
| College: | John Carroll (1995–1998) |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 20–33 (.377) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Joshua Thomas McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American professional football coach. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL).
McDaniels has worked as the Patriots' offensive coordinator for 14 seasons. During his first time with the team (2006–2008), New England set records for points scored. They also became the first team to win all 16 regular season games in 2007. In his second time with the Patriots (2012–2021), the team won three Super Bowl championships. McDaniels rejoined New England for a third time in 2025.
Outside of his time with the Patriots, McDaniels was the head coach for the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2010. He also led the Las Vegas Raiders from 2022 to 2023.
Contents
- Josh McDaniels: Early Life and Playing Days
- Coaching Journey
- Head Coaching Record
- Personal Life
Josh McDaniels: Early Life and Playing Days
Josh McDaniels went to Canton McKinley High School. After high school, he attended John Carroll University. He played football there from 1995 to 1998. He mostly played as a wide receiver.
Even though he was a quarterback in high school, he played wide receiver in college. Some of his college teammates also became successful in the NFL. These included London Fletcher, Nick Caserio, and Tom Telesco.
Coaching Journey
Starting Out at Michigan State
McDaniels began his coaching career in 1999. He was a graduate assistant at Michigan State University. He worked under coach Nick Saban. After this, McDaniels worked in sales for a short time.
First Time with the New England Patriots
McDaniels joined the Patriots in 2001 as a personnel assistant. From 2002 to 2003, he helped coach the defense. In 2004, he became the team's quarterbacks coach. During his first four seasons, the Patriots won three Super Bowls. These were Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and Super Bowl XXXIX.
After the 2004 season, the Patriots did not have an official offensive coordinator. McDaniels was believed to be calling the offensive plays during the 2005 season. After that season, he was officially promoted to offensive coordinator. He also continued to coach the quarterbacks.
In the 2007 season, McDaniels led the Patriots' offense to set NFL records. They scored 75 touchdowns and 589 points. This led to talk that he might become a head coach for another team. However, he decided to stay with the Patriots at that time.
In 2008, starting quarterback Tom Brady was injured early in the season. McDaniels then coached the offense with Matt Cassel as quarterback. The team finished with a good record of 11 wins and 5 losses.
Leading the Denver Broncos
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On January 11, 2009, the Denver Broncos hired McDaniels as their new head coach. He signed a four-year contract.
Early in his time with the Broncos, there was a disagreement involving quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler was traded to the Chicago Bears in April 2009. The Broncos received Kyle Orton and several draft picks in return.
2009 Season with Denver
The Broncos started the 2009 season very well. They won their first six games. This included a win against the Patriots. However, they then lost four games in a row. The team finished the season with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs. McDaniels faced criticism for benching star wide receiver Brandon Marshall for the final game.
2010 Season and Departure
McDaniels' second season in Denver ended with a 3–9 record. He was fired by the Broncos on December 6, 2010.
Videotaping Incident
In November 2010, the NFL investigated the Broncos. This was because a team video director, Steve Scarnecchia, recorded a practice of the San Francisco 49ers. This happened before a game in London.
The NFL fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each. Scarnecchia was fired. Scarnecchia said he acted alone and knew it was wrong. He showed the video to McDaniels, but McDaniels did not watch it. The NFL decided the Broncos did not gain an unfair advantage.
However, McDaniels was fined because he did not report the incident to the NFL right away. This was against league rules. The Broncos were also fined because teams are responsible for their employees' actions. McDaniels apologized for not reporting the incident quickly. The Broncos later said that his failure to report was a major reason for his firing.
Time with the St. Louis Rams
On January 18, 2011, McDaniels became the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. He worked under head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo praised McDaniels as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL.
Second Time with the New England Patriots
After the 2011 season, the Rams' head coach was fired. McDaniels was allowed to leave the team. The Patriots then hired him back as an offensive assistant for their 2011 playoffs. He officially became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2012 season.
During the 2014 season, McDaniels helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX. They beat the Seattle Seahawks. In the 2016 season, he coached the offense to another championship. The Patriots won Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. They made an amazing comeback from being 25 points behind.
After Super Bowl LII in 2018, McDaniels was announced as the new head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. However, he changed his mind on the same day and decided to stay with the Patriots. His agent ended their working relationship because of this. The Patriots then won Super Bowl LIII in 2018. This was McDaniels' third Super Bowl win as offensive coordinator.
Leading the Las Vegas Raiders
On January 31, 2022, McDaniels was hired as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. His first win with the Raiders was against his old team, the Denver Broncos.
In the 2022 season, McDaniels was criticized because his team often lost games after having a lead. The Raiders finished the year with a 6–11 record. Long-time quarterback Derek Carr left the team after this season.
Before the 2023 season, Jimmy Garoppolo was signed as the Raiders' starting quarterback. He had worked with McDaniels before in New England. However, the Raiders started the 2023 season with a 3–5 record. McDaniels and General Manager Dave Ziegler were fired on October 31, 2023. Garoppolo was then replaced by rookie Aidan O'Connell. McDaniels finished his time with the Raiders with a record of 9 wins and 16 losses.
Third Time with the New England Patriots
In January 2025, McDaniels returned to the Patriots. He became their offensive coordinator again under new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| DEN | 2009 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| DEN | 2010 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | Fired | — | — | — | — |
| DEN total | 11 | 17 | 0 | .393 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| LV | 2022 | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 3rd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| LV | 2023 | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | Fired | — | — | — | — |
| LV total | 9 | 16 | 0 | .360 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| Total | 20 | 33 | 0 | .377 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
Personal Life
Josh McDaniels' father, Thom McDaniels, was a highly respected high school football coach. He was even named the USA Today High School Coach of the Year in Ohio in 1997. Watching his father coach helped inspire Josh to become a coach himself. Josh also has a brother, Ben McDaniels, who is an assistant coach for the Houston Texans.
Josh McDaniels is married and has four children.
