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 | |
Josh McDaniels (born April 22, 1976) is an American football coach. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL).
McDaniels started his NFL coaching journey with the Patriots in 2001. He served as their offensive coordinator for 14 seasons, though not all in a row. During his first time as offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008, the Patriots had a record-breaking season in 2007, scoring the most points ever and winning all 16 regular season games. In his second time with the Patriots (2012-2021), the team won three Super Bowl championships. He was part of the Patriots staff for all six of their Super Bowl wins during the famous Brady–Belichick era.
Outside of the Patriots, McDaniels was the head coach for the Denver Broncos (2009-2010) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2022-2023). Both of these head coaching jobs ended during his second season with the team.
Contents
- Playing Career Highlights
- Coaching Journey
- Head Coaching Record
- About His Family
Playing Career Highlights
Josh McDaniels played football in college at John Carroll University 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 teammates at John Carroll also went on to have successful careers in the NFL, including London Fletcher, who became a linebacker, and Nick Caserio, who later joined the Patriots' staff with McDaniels.
Coaching Journey
Starting Out at Michigan State
McDaniels began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University. A graduate assistant helps the main coaches with various tasks, like preparing for games and working with players. After his time at Michigan State, McDaniels worked in sales for a short period.
First Time with the New England Patriots
McDaniels joined the New England Patriots in 2001 as a personnel assistant, helping with player scouting and team management. From 2002 to 2003, he worked as a defensive coaching assistant, focusing on the team's defensive backs in 2003.
In 2004, he became the team's quarterbacks coach. During his first four seasons with the Patriots, the team won three Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII, and Super Bowl XXXIX.
After the 2004 season, the Patriots didn't have an official offensive coordinator for the 2005 season. However, it was McDaniels who was secretly calling the offensive plays. After that season, he was officially promoted to offensive coordinator, while still coaching the quarterbacks.
In the 2007 season, with McDaniels leading the offense, the Patriots set new NFL records. They scored 75 touchdowns and 589 points, showing how powerful their offense was. This success made many people think McDaniels would soon become a head coach.
In 2008, the Patriots' starting quarterback, Tom Brady, got injured early in the season. McDaniels then helped lead the offense with backup quarterback Matt Cassel. The team still finished with a good 11-5 record, but they just missed the playoffs.
Head Coach for the Denver Broncos
On January 11, 2009, Josh McDaniels became the head coach of the Denver Broncos. He signed a four-year contract.
Early in his time with the Broncos, there was a disagreement involving their star quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler was eventually traded to the Chicago Bears.
2009 Season with Denver
The Broncos started the 2009 season very strong under McDaniels, winning their first six games. This included an exciting overtime win against his old team, the Patriots. However, they then lost four games in a row. The Broncos ended the season with an 8-8 record and did not make the playoffs.
2010 Season with Denver
McDaniels' second season in Denver was tough. The Broncos had a 3-9 record. Because of the team's struggles, McDaniels was fired by the Broncos on December 6, 2010.
Offensive Coordinator for the St. Louis Rams
On January 18, 2011, McDaniels became the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. The Rams' head coach, Steve Spagnuolo, praised McDaniels, calling him "one of the top offensive minds in the NFL."
Second Time with the New England Patriots
After the 2011 season, the Rams allowed McDaniels to leave. The Patriots then hired him back as an offensive assistant during their 2011 playoffs. He then officially took over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2012 season.
During the 2014 season, McDaniels helped the Patriots win another championship, Super Bowl XLIX. They beat the Seattle Seahawks after coming back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
In the 2016 season, McDaniels' offense was key to another Patriots Super Bowl win, Super Bowl LI. This game was famous for the Patriots coming back from a huge 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to win in overtime.
After Super Bowl LII in 2018, McDaniels was announced as the new head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. However, on the same day, he changed his mind and decided to stay with the Patriots. The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl LIII in 2018, giving McDaniels his third championship as offensive coordinator in his second stint with the team.
Head Coach for 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 a 32-23 victory against his former team, the Denver Broncos.
During the 2022 season, McDaniels faced criticism because his team struggled to keep their leads and finish games. The Raiders ended his first year with a 6-11 record. Their long-time quarterback, Derek Carr, left the team after this season.
Before the 2023 season, the Raiders signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the team continued to struggle. On October 31, 2023, after a 3-5 start to the season, McDaniels was fired from the Raiders. He finished his time with the Raiders with a 9-16 record.
Third Time with the New England Patriots
On January 22, 2025, Josh McDaniels was brought back to the New England Patriots to be their offensive coordinator once again, working 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 | |||
About His Family
Josh McDaniels comes from a family of football coaches. His father, Thom McDaniels, was a very successful high school football coach in Ohio and was even named USA Today High School Coach of the Year in 1997. Watching his dad coach inspired Josh to become a coach himself.
Josh's brother, Ben McDaniels, is also an assistant coach in the NFL, currently with the Houston Texans.
Josh McDaniels is married and has four children.
