Josh McDaniels returns to Super Bowl for 10th time as an assistant after 2nd head coach firing

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — When it comes to being an offensive coordinator in the NFL, few coaches have fared better than New England’s Josh McDaniels.

As a head coach, it’s been a completely different story.

The six-time Super Bowl champion is back in the title game after taking a one-year break from coaching following his second firing as a head coach with no thoughts now on whether he will ever get a third chance.

“Every day’s one day at a time for me now,” McDaniels said this week. “I think I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m incredibly happy to be here and doing what I’m doing. I love my job. I love the role that I have. I love the group that I’m with. So whatever that plan is down the road, we’ll figure that out. But I couldn’t be more happy with where I’m at.”

Being at the Super Bowl as a Patriots assistant is familiar territory for McDaniels as he prepares second-year quarterback Drake Maye and the offense for Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks’ stellar defense.

McDaniels’ work with Maye helped him win the NFL AP Assistant Coach of the Year award that was announced on Thursday night at “NFL Honors.”

Ever since starting in the NFL as a low-level assistant with Bill Belichick’s Patriots in the 2001 season, McDaniels has been a frequent participant in the Super Bowl with this year’s game being his 10th of his career....