It was about a month ago, in a conference room near his office in Miami Gardens. New Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wasn’t merely answering a question about others doubting his ability to fill his new role. He actually raised the topic himself.
He’d heard the whispers that, shorter and slighter than most NFL coaches, he’d struggle to command a team when trouble hit. That he wouldn’t be able to turn a room full of alphas back on the right path. That it was a matter of time before the Yale-educated, 39-year-old run-game savant from San Francisco would be proven to be in over his depth.