The ethnicity conversation has ‘been very odd,’ new Miami Dolphins coach says

Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed his league-shaking racial-discrimination lawsuit a little more than a week ago.

On Sunday the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as the new head coach. And on Thursday, they held a news conference to introduce McDaniel.

McDaniel is biracial.

McDaniel’s ethnicity has become an odd topic of fascination on social media and in certain corners of the NFL fandom.

“It’s been very odd,” McDaniel said at a press conference Thursday.

McDaniel specifically mentioned the concept of “identifying” as biracial, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter phrased it on Twitter on Sunday, and said he identifies “as a human being” and said his family members have dealt with racism, even though he hasn’t experienced any firsthand because of his extremely light-skinned appearance.

“My dad is Black, so whatever you want to call it,” McDaniel said. “My background opens my eyes a little bit. I don’t have any real experience with racism ... but I know my mom experienced it when she married my dad, I know my dad experienced it and that it’s in my family. I guess that makes me a human being that can identify with other people’s problems.”