Football is a man’s game, and it appears that was lost in Miami.
Former Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert revealed Monday on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd what went wrong under his former coach, Mike McDaniel, who was fired this offseason and is now in Los Angeles operating as the offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh.
“I kinda feel bad for the players,” Mostert said. “Just because when you have a coach that is so player friendly, it doesn’t really mix all that well. You know what I mean? Look at the coaching history, not just in the NFL but MLB, NBA, all these different sports franchises — they have coaches that implement toughness, resilience, and that’s something that he kind of missed the mark on in being a head coach.”
McDaniel, who graduated from Yale and played his highest level of football as a high school wide receiver, is known for his wit during press conferences, but Mostert indicated that the Dolphins’ former coach lost the locker room during his time in the building beginning in 2022.
Mostert was one of McDaniel’s first signings when he landed the head coaching gig with the Dolphins, following his former offensive coordinator and run game coordinator from San Francisco to Miami.
He added that the NFL requires a more stern presence for a team to be successful.
“Yes, absolutely,” Mostert said when asked if the Dolphins lacked toughness. “When you’re talking about guys like Mike Tomlin, (Mike) Vrabel, even look at (Bill) Belichick — it was no-nonsense [no] BS. We’re getting here, we’re getting the job done, and it’s my way or the highway.
“It’s pure: This is how we’re gonna coach it, I’m essentially the ruler. I’m the one that’s making these gains and also the failures. I have to accept that. But when you’re dealing with a coach that’s so nonchalant, laid back, wants to be the catalyst behind being a player’s coach, it kind of shifts that organization in the pivot within that system. So while it can work for other smaller league teams possibly, when you’re dealing with something like that, as a player you’re like, no, I need somebody tough that’s gonna lay the hammer down when it needs to be down and tell other players to get in line. And when you don’t got that, that impact can definitely be detrimental.”
Miami went 7-10 in the 2025 season and 8-9 the season prior, which led to McDaniel being fired.
McDaniel was replaced by former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the team looks to adopt a harder-nosed identity.