You might not know it unless you are a diehard Miami Dolphins fan, but recently fired head coach Mike McDaniel grew up with popular New York comedian Dan Soder.
The two were close friends as teenagers and remain buddies today, so much so that Soder has done interviews about their relationship in the past. And now that McDaniel is out as Miami’s head coach under strange circumstances, Soder is back on his soap box defending his pal.
In a recent rant on his podcast, Soder — who is also the fiancé of SiriusXM host Katie Nolan — unleashed on Dolphins fans, owner Stephen Ross, and even ESPN’s Troy Aikman over the way the franchise treated McDaniel.
“In fact, I think he’s better off, because I think … it’s a sh*t organization,” Soder said. “I think it’s ran by an old f*ck that stabbed Mike in the back after he told him he was going to be alright for another season. And f*ck the Dolphins.”
If true, Soder would appear to have a scoop here. While McDaniel was fired after Black Monday as Miami was nearing the end of its general manager search, the ESPN story on McDaniel’s dismissal did not mention such a promise from Ross.
Soder believes that Aikman, who was brought on by the Dolphins as an unpaid advisor for its GM search, was behind McDaniel’s firing. Aikman, of course, was sharply critical of McDaniel on a Monday Night Football broadcast late in the season, and has since been kept onboard to assist with finding McDaniel’s replacement.
“Having a friend that’s an NFL coach, you listen more when people talk about your friend,” Soder said. “And Troy Aikman sh*ts on McDaniel in a way that it’s like, ‘He doesn’t like Mike.'”
As for McDaniel’s future prospects, the Kyle Shanahan disciple is already getting interviews to be an offensive coordinator or head coach next season. Soder believes McDaniel went down with Tua Tagovailoa, and that while his loyalty to the young quarterback may have cost McDaniel his job, it will serve him well as a leader down the road.
“I think McDaniel got fired because he tied himself to Tua and they lost … but I think that’s a sign of my friend being loyal,” Soder said. “So as a friend, I go, f*ck yeah he stuck with him. And I hope the next team he goes to, the quarterback goes, ‘Well this guy stuck with him, so I believe in him.'”
McDaniel looks like he will land on his feet in the NFL, but he appears to have quite the defender online in Soder if he ever needs one.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.