Life is uncertain; you can’t tell what will happen the very next moment. At times, it’s unfair too. So, you have to be patient and trust in God’s plan. Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins head coach, has had his share of life’s unfairness. When he was just four years old, he lost one of his parents in a brutal car accident. Raised by a single parent, his life story shows us that no matter how unfair life gets, you must keep moving forward, trusting in the bigger picture.

Who are Donna and Mike Sr., Mike McDaniel’s Parents?

Born in Colorado to Donna and Mike Sr., Mike has mixed ethnicity. While his mother, Donna, is Caucasian, he has African-American roots from his father’s side. Sadly, Mike Sr. passed away in a car crash, leaving behind his wife and 4-year-old son.

It was a tough situation for the family, but Donna had to take on the responsibility of raising Mike alone. Because she married Mike Sr., who had African American roots, her family cut ties with her. Speaking about his ethnicity, Mike shared, “ I think people identify me as something, but I identify as a human being and my dad is Black. So whatever you want to call it, I know there’s a lot of people with a shared experience.”

After the loss of her husband, Donna had to work many jobs to raise her son. From working as a credit consultant at Monfort Beef to being a saleswoman at a meat delivery company, she struggled a lot. She did everything possible to give her son the best life possible. While she did not earn too much from these jobs, she made sure that she provided for her son without help from her parents.

A while after living in the Broncos, Mike met someone whom he would later call his dad.

Who is the stepfather of the Dolphins’ head coach?

While living in Denver, Mike McDaniel would attend the Broncos training camp. One day, he lost his hat, the one he had planned to get Robert Delpino’s autograph on. At the time, Robert was the running back for the Denver Broncos. It was then that the Broncos videographer Gary McCune noticed Mike, who was sobbing. Gary bought him a new hat and eventually went on to meet his mother. Donna and Gary married in 1993, filling the father’s role in Mike’s life.

Because Gary was working for the Broncos, he helped Mike get a job as a ball boy for the team. During that time, McDaniel met Mike Shanahan, who was then serving as the head coach of the Broncos. The Dolphins HC worked under Coach Shanahan for some time, getting the hang of the game early on. He instantly picked up how things work on an internal level in the NFL. He then coached several NFL teams throughout his coaching career, including the Texans, Falcons, Browns, and 49ers. In 2022, he was named as the head coach of the Dolphins.

Besides his coaching duties, Mike McDaniel is also husband to Katie Hemstalk for 10 years now, and dad to a daughter named Alya June. Mom Donna, wife Katie, and baby Alya are often seen in the stands at almost every Dolphins game, cheering for Mike and the guys.