Who is Josh McDaniels? Learn about your new head coach

Josh McDaniels was named the 12th head coach in Denver Broncos history on Jan. 12, 2009. The 33-year-old joined the Broncos after spending the previous eight seasons (2001-08) with the New England Patriots, including the last three years (2006-08) as the club's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

McDaniels was part of a New England franchise that won three Super Bowls, four AFC championships and six division titles while posting the NFL's best overall record (111-34 / .766) during his eight years with the club. The Patriots had seven 10-win seasons with him on staff, including the 2007 campaign when New England became the first team in NFL history to post a 16-0 regular-season record, as well as a league-high 14 playoff victories (14-3 postseason record).

Born on April 22, 1976, McDaniels is the sixth-youngest head coach in NFL history (32 years, 8 months) at the time of his hire and was the fifth youngest when he was named the Broncos' head coach. Raheem Morris, who was hired by Tampa Bay on Jan. 17, 2009, is four months younger than McDaniels and makes Denver's head coach the second-youngest active head coach in the league.

While he is the youngest head coach in the 50-year history of the Broncos, McDaniels' dynamic personality and organizational skills have already re-energized the entire franchise in just a short time in Denver. His previous experience came at the highest level while with the Patriots, whose standard of operation and success prepared him for the challenges of an NFL head-coaching position.

Led by Head Coach Bill Belichick and personnel director Scott Pioli, New England evolved into one of the most successful organizations in the NFL over that eight-year stretch with McDaniels on staff. He was a part of that transition at both the coaching and personnel levels, beginning his career with the franchise as a personnel assistant/coaching assistant in 2001 before moving into a coaching capacity on a full-time basis in 2002.

After working as a coaching assistant for two seasons, he was named New England's quarterbacks coach in 2004. The club promoted him to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on Jan. 20, 2006.

During three years (2006-08) as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, McDaniels directed a New England offense that led the NFL in points per game (28.8) while ranking second in the league in yards per game (370.8). The Patriots also committed the third-fewest turnovers (63) and ranked fourth in the league in third-down success (44.4%) under McDaniels during that three-year period.

In his five seasons (2004-08) with the Patriots handling positional coaching responsibilities, McDaniels guided six different players to a total of nine Pro Bowl selections. Quarterback Tom Brady was named to the Pro Bowl three times (2004-05, '07) under McDaniels, including the 2007 campaign when he earned league MVP honors, and ranked fourth in the league in passing yards per game (249.4) over those five years.

Despite a season-ending injury to Brady in Week 1, New England's 2008 offense finished the year with an NFL-best 356 first downs and ranked fifth in the league in yards per game (365.4) under McDaniels. His coaching helped backup quarterback Matt Cassel, who became a starter for the first time since high school, post the eighth-most passing yards (3,693) in the league. The fourth-year quarterback, who had attempted just 39 passes in his first three seasons, registered an 89.4 passer rating for the year while throwing 21 touchdown passes and only 11 interceptions.

McDaniels' passing offense in 2008 featured wide receiver Wes Welker, who was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career after finishing the year with the second-most catches (111) in the league. The slot receiver posted a league-high 758 of his 1,165 receiving yards after the catch while becoming one of eight players in NFL history and the first Patriot with consecutive 100-reception seasons.

Welker's 111 catches in 2008 combined with his club-record 112 catches in '07, his first year playing in McDaniels' offense, gave him the seventh-highest two-year reception total (223) in NFL history. New England's ground attack also was one of the league's best with McDaniels calling the plays in 2008, ranking sixth in yards per game (142.4) and fourth with 21 rushing touchdowns that were the most by the franchise in 27 seasons.

During the 2007 season, McDaniels helped the Patriots set numerous league offensive records en route to becoming the first team in NFL history to win its first 18 games and advancing to Super Bowl XLII. New England's 589 points (36.8 ppg.) and 75 touchdowns were the most in league history for a season while its 6,580 yards (411.3 ypg.) ranked seventh in league annals for a single campaign.

Individually, five Patriots earned Pro Bowl honors under McDaniels' coaching in 2007-Brady, wide receiver Randy Moss and three offensive linemen (center Dan Koppen, tackle Matt Light and guard Logan Mankins).

Brady, the league MVP, set an NFL record for touchdown passes in a season (50) and registered the third-most passing yards (4,806) for a year in NFL annals in 2007. Moss set a league record for touchdown catches (23) and totaled a franchise best for receiving yards (1,439). Welker's 112 catches tied for the league lead, set a New England record and marked the most receptions by a player in his first year with a new team in NFL history.

In his first year as the Patriots' offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2006, McDaniels' unit had the third-lowest three-and-out percentage (18.5) in the league and was fifth in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage (60.0). Brady continued his success under McDaniels, ranking seventh in the league in passing yards (3,529). McDaniels' offense also was one of only two in the NFL to feature two running backs with at least 740 rushing yards (Corey Dillon and rookie Laurence Maroney) and included one Pro Bowl selection (Light).

As quarterbacks coach with New England from 2004-05, McDaniels worked closely with Brady, helping him earn consecutive Pro Bowl honors. In that two-year period under McDaniels' instruction, Brady ranked second in the NFL in touchdown passes (54) and fourth in both passing yards (7,802) and completions (622).

In 2005, Brady led the NFL with a career-high 4,110 passing yards that marked the third-best season mark in Patriots history. With McDaniels handling positional coaching responsibilities for the first time in his career as quarterbacks coach in 2004, Brady registered a career-best 92.6 passer rating.

McDaniels earned the third Super Bowl ring of his career at the end of the 2004 campaign with New England's 24-21 win against Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX.

He was named a coaching assistant by the Patriots in February 2002 with his responsibilities including film breakdown and scouting chart preparations for the defensive staff. McDaniels acquired additional responsibility in 2003 working with the defensive backs on a New England squad that had a 14-2 record and won Super Bowl XXXVIII with its 32-29 win against Carolina.

The Patriots' Super Bowl win against the Panthers was part of their NFL-record 21-game winning streak in which they went more than a calendar year without a loss (Oct. 5, 2003 - Oct. 24, 2004).

McDaniels joined the Patriots as a personnel assistant/coaching assistant in 2001. In that capacity, he handled film breakdown and scouting preparation for the defensive staff on a club that captured Super Bowl XXXVI with its 20-17 upset win over St. Louis.

In 1999, McDaniels began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University. Working under Head Coach Nick Saban, he was part of a staff that helped the Spartans to a 10-2 record and a Citrus Bowl victory.

Initially recruited by John Carroll University (University Heights, Ohio) as a quarterback, McDaniels spent the majority of his collegiate playing career as a wide receiver from 1995-98 for the Blue Streaks. He was a college teammate of Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio, who was John Carroll's starting quarterback.

McDaniels graduated from the school in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula (Class of 1951) as John Carroll alums.

Born in Barberton, Ohio, McDaniels grew up in Northeast Ohio, one of the most football-rich regions of the country. He was a quarterback and kicker at Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, competing for a program that has received national recognition for its success and one located in the shadows of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The school plays its home games at Fawcett Stadium, site of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

McDaniels' father, Thom McDaniels, coached him at McKinley during his 16-year stint as its head coach from 1982-97. During that time, he became one of the state's most celebrated coaches en route to winning more games (134 / 134-42 overall record) than any coach in McKinley history. He continued his coaching career at Warren Harding High School (Warren, Ohio) and at Massillon Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio).

Josh and his wife, Laura, have one son, Jack Thomas (5), and one daughter, Maddie (3).