Josh Mcdaniels

Josh McDaniels enters his eighth NFL season and his eighth season in New England. He joined the Patriots on March 1, 2001 as a personnel assistant in the scouting department and assisted the defensive coaching staff for three seasons. He began serving as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach in 2004 and was named offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on January 20, 2006.

McDaniels oversaw an offense that broke several NFL records in 2007, including points scored, touchdowns scored and most players scoring a touchdown. Under his tutelage, 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady broke the NFL record for touchdown passes in a season (50) and led the league in both passing yards (4,806) and passer rating (117.2). Brady also set franchise marks in nearly every major passing category, while new wide receiver Wes Welker set the franchise record for receptions in a season (112). New acquisition Randy Moss broke the NFL record for touchdown receptions with 23 and set the Patriots’ franchise record for receiving yards in a season (1,439). The Patriots offense also posted the franchise’s highest average yards per rush in 22 seasons with 4.1 yards per carry and the team’s 17 rushing touchdowns were the second highest total in the last 20 years.

In 2006, McDaniels helped integrate several new players into the offense, including free agent signee Reche Caldwell, mid-season acquisition Jabar Gaffney and rookie Laurence Maroney. In all, six new Patriots caught at least 10 passes, including Caldwell, who led the team with career-highs in receptions (69) and receiving yards (760). Gaffney, acquired prior to week six, became a starting receiver by the end of the regular season and was the team’s most productive receiver in the playoffs. Maroney, splitting time with Corey Dillon, was the third leading rusher among NFL rookies.

In his role as quarterbacks coach, McDaniels has worked closely with Brady. In four seasons working with McDaniels, Brady has compiled the top four passer ratings of his eightyear career – 92.6 (2004), 92.3 (2005), 87.9 (2006) and 117.2 (2008).

In 2005, Brady led the NFL with a career-best 4,110 passing yards, a number that exceeded his previous career high by nearly 350 yards and represents the third highest yardage total in Patriots history. Patriots quarterbacks threw 28 touchdown passes, tying the fifth-highest total for the position in franchise history. The mark was also achieved in 1986, 2002 and 2004, McDaniels’ first season as quarterbacks coach. Also in 2005, the Patriots finished the season as the NFL’s second-ranked passing offense (257.5 yards per game), marking the team’s highest ranking in that category in 11 seasons.

In addition to assisting in Brady’s continued development, McDaniels has tutored Matt Cassel, a four-year backup quarterback in college and a seventh-round draft choice in 2005. In the 2005 regular-season finale, Cassel threw his first two touchdown passes since high school as he led the Patriots on a fourth-quarter comeback against Miami that fell just two points short.

In 2004, McDaniels earned his first positional coaching responsibilities and worked with Brady to help the quarterback produce his then highest passer rating of his career (92.6) and the third highest single-season passer rating in team history. Brady’s 28 touchdown passes ranked second in the AFC and tied his career high set in 2002.

Upon his arrival in New England prior to the 2001 season, McDaniels served as a personnel assistant and quickly expanded his role to include film breakdown and scouting preparation for the defensive coaching staff. He became a coaching assistant in February of 2002. In that role, his responsibilities included film breakdown and scouting chart preparations for the defensive staff. In 2003, he drew additional responsibilities working with the defensive backs

McDaniels began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, working under head coach Nick Saban.