Patriots

Josh McDaniels: ‘I’m not Bill [Belichick], and I can’t be’

"I'm just going to try to be myself and hopefully I can be a good leader for our team."

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels speaks during a news conference. John Locher/AP Photo

May 28, 2022

It appears Josh McDaniels is hoping to start fresh as he takes over as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Back in April, former Patriots and current Raiders safety Duron Harmon said McDaniels is trying to “create a culture that is not the Patriot way.”

Earlier this week, McDaniels echoed those thoughts and made it clear he’ll put his own spin on leading a team this time around.

“I’m not Bill [Belichick] and I can’t be,” McDaniels told reporters. “I’m just going to try to be myself and hopefully I can be a good leader for our team.”

Josh McDaniels says one lesson he learned from his first head coaching job is that it's a mistake to try to copy everything New England does and replicate it in a new place. Says he can just be himself and do the best job he can. "I'm not Bill and I can't be." #Raiders
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) May 26, 2022

McDaniels, who is starting his second stint as a head coach, has been looking forward to an opportunity like this for a couple years. He said he’s grateful to everyone with the Raiders so far for making it an easy transition.

He also believes the experience he gained during his stint with the Denver Broncos has helped prepare him for this role.

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” McDaniels said. “I feel like it’s slowed down for me, for sure. Doesn’t mean anything at this point in time of the year, doesn’t have any bearing on what’s going to happen down the road, but definitely feel a comfort level now in terms of understanding what my role is and how to do it better.”