Josh McDaniels is the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
At 44 years of age, he is highly regarded in the NFL.
Some may wonder why an offensive coordinator gets so much attention; he is overhyped.
Here are three reasons why he is not a good coach.
1. Works For Bill Belichick
McDaniels showed up in 2001 as a personnel assistant and worked his way up through the organization.
He left for three seasons from 2009-2011 but came back to the fold when he realized what a good gig it is working for the greatest coach of all time.
McDaniels seems to do well in the background, away from the bright lights and pressure.
He is not alone in that; his cohort Matt Patricia had a rude awakening when he left the comfort of New England for a head coaching job in Detroit.
The point is that Bill Belichick’s acumen dominates this organization.
If they win or lose, it is on Belichick, not McDaniels.
2. Worked With Tom Brady
McDaniels gained credibility because he was the quarterbacks coach for Tom Brady.
As with Belichick, he was working with the greatest quarterback of all time at the pinnacle of his career and a perfectionist.
Effort was never going to be an issue with Brady; perhaps they butted heads, but Brady being the GOAT had to make the job easier most of the time.
#Patriots Tom Brady and OC Josh McDaniels are not besties right now. pic.twitter.com/637hDKQ1yx
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) December 3, 2017
The Brady/Belichick partnership was destined for success because of the two of them.
All of the other people may have contributed, but let’s face it, not to the extent of those two.
3. A Head Coach For Only Two Seasons
Most offensive coordinators are biding their time until a head coaching position materializes.
McDaniels has played cat-and-mouse with these roles.
He was the Denver Broncos head coach for two seasons, 2009 and 2010.
"He kind of lost the locker room."@eddieroyalwr looks back to 2009 and what it was like to play for the Broncos during Josh McDaniels first year as head coach. pic.twitter.com/X8sh13xhkS
— GMFB (@gmfb) February 13, 2018
His coaching record was 11-17; that is a .393 winning percentage.
Many players that were with the Broncos described his time there as a disaster.
Then there was that weird scenario that transpired with the Indianapolis Colts in February 2018.
He interviewed for the head coaching job, accepted the offer, and then changed his mind.
The Colts announced his change of heart as follows:
“After agreeing to contract terms to become the Indianapolis Colts’ new head coach, New England Patriots assistant coach Josh McDaniels this evening informed us that he would not be joining our team. Although we are surprised and disappointed, we will resume our head-coaching search immediately and find the right fit to lead our team and organization on and off the field.”
All this did was lead to speculation that he is trying to wait out Bill Belichick and take the reins for the Patriots when Belichick ultimately retires or leaves.
This also led to a lot of mistrust in future organizations looking for his services.
Belichick is 68 years old and shows no signs of walking away from the game.
If anything he may be motivated to stay longer now that he sees what Brady is doing without him.
This discussion is prefaced by the fact that Josh McDaniels is only 44.
He could have a promising coaching future ahead of him.
Right now, with 20 years in the league, the question of whether he is a good coach has to be answered with a solid no.
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