Josh McDaniels' Weaknesses in NFL Could Be Strengths in NCAA

Josh McDaniels was fired as the head coach of the Denver Broncos this week.

Several reasons were cited as to why he failed to win there. Many of which are traits that he learned from his mentor, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He had his fair shares of weaknesses.

Interestingly enough, those weaknesses could be strengths on the college level.

No Big Player Contracts

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Head coach of the Denver Broncos Josh McDaniels talks with Tim Tebow #15 during a team training session at The Brit Oval on October 29, 2010 in London, England. The Denver Broncos will play the San Francisco 49ers at Wemble

There was a lot of pressure on Josh McDaniels to play certain guys. Fans and the media were begging for the 34 year old coach to start rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. The Denver Broncos invested multiple draft picks and a first round draft choice contract on Tebow. Even the owner himself was said to be pushing for it as well. 

In college, he wouldn't have to deal with it as badly.

One of McDaniels' weaknesses is that he loves his own system a little bit too much. He believes that he can plug any player into his system and it will succeed. As a college head coach, he can do that more freely as players do not have big contracts.

College Players Need Discipline

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown by Knowshon Moreno with wide receiver Brandon Lloyd #84 against the St. Louis Rams at INVESCO Field at Mile High on November 28, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Ra

Much like Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels believes in being strict with his players. He's not afraid to be confrontational. Ask Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.

College players are younger and don't have big contracts, so they're more likely to accept the discipline that McDaniels demands.

Youth As a Benefit

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ENGLEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 18: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos addresses the media prior to during training camp practice at Dove Valley on August 18, 2010 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

With Josh McDaniels being only 34 years of age, he might have an advantage over older NCAA coaches when it comes to relating with young players.

Inexperienced Coaching Staff

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Josh McDaniels head coach of Denver Broncos looks on during the NFL International Series match between Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium on October 31, 2010 in London, England. This is the fourth occa

One of the things that doomed Josh McDaniels with the Denver Broncos was his reluctance to field a highly experienced coaching staff. In his first year, he could not coexist with defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who turned that Broncos defense into one of the better ones in the league. In 2010, had two very inexperienced coordinators on both sides of the ball.

You need to have an experienced coaching staff in order to succeed in the NFL.

In college though, it's not as much of a mandate. The majority of assistance coaches in the NCAA do not have years of experience as an NFL head coach or coordinator. On the college level, McDaniels can simply put together a staff that can focus on teaching the players while he focuses on strategy.

More Room for Creativity

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 03: Coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos confers with an official during a game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on October 3, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. Denver won 26-20. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Considering the level of talent on an NFL defense, it makes all the sense in the world that you can't do everything in the big league as you could in college. You're not going to run a quarterback option when Ray Lewis is staring right at you. Despite his lack of success in Denver, Josh McDaniels is still viewed as an offensive mastermind by many. He could unleash that creativity even more in the NCAA.