A new 49ers star has had a meteoric rise in the last few weeks. Oh, no, no. Not Deebo Samuel (although there’s still a Deebo tie-in).
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s quirky press conferences have flown under the radar throughout the 49ers season, but now that he’s a hot NFL head coaching candidate, his chill, barista vibe has gone national.
So when USA TODAY Sports reporter Mike Jones asked a question about Deebo Samuel, McDaniel’s could not resist.
This, of course, is in reference to rapper Mike Jones, who had several hits in the 2000s using the catchphrase “Mike Jones, who?”, or similarly, “Who is Mike Jones?” The album "Who is Mike Jones?" climbed up to No. 3 in 2005 on the Billboard 200.
For his part, Kyle Shanahan appreciates McDaniel’s humor, having worked together since they were both assistants for the Houston Texans in 2006.
RELATED: McDaniel's extraordinary journey from Yale grad to 49ers OC
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“I haven't watched his press conferences,” remarked Shanahan recently. “I don't study them, but I have an idea of how they are. That's Mike. He's an acquired taste and you guys are getting it. So Mike's a good dude. He’s really good at what he does and he's himself. He's one of the smartest coaches I've been around and he’s been huge to our team and huge for me throughout my entire career.”
Let’s see if any other NFL teams want that acquired taste as their next head coach.