Raheem Mostert played for Mike McDaniel for five seasons when McDaniel was an assistant coach in San Francisco, and then Mostert played for McDaniel for three seasons when McDaniel was the head coach in Miami. Few players have spent as much time with McDaniel as Mostert has. And Mostert says McDaniel’s downfall as a head coach was in trying too hard to be a players’ coach.
Mostert told Colin Cowherd that he and McDaniel developed a good relationship in San Francisco and that McDaniel is a sharp offensive coach, but that McDaniel never figured out how to run a football team.
“He’s a great coach,” Mostert said. “If guys are talking, he’ll listen and give them some advice, but head coach wise — the past couple of years, what they’ve been going through has just been kind of rough. I kind of feel bad for the players. When you have a coach that is so player friendly, it doesn’t really mix all that well. Look at the coaches in history, not just in the NFL, of all of 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.”
Mostert referred to McDaniel as “nonchalant,” “laid back” and “a players’ coach” and said players respond better to a head coach whose attitude is, “We’re getting the job done, and it’s my way or the highway.”
Ultimately, Mostert said, the Dolphins needed a coach who was going to hold them to higher standards.
“As a player, I need somebody tough that’s going to lay the hammer down when it needs to be down and tell other players to get in line,” Mostert said. “When you don’t have that, that impact can definitely be detrimental.”