Josh McDaniels’ eyes dart to the stands as he heads off the field and toward the locker room at Allegiant Stadium after his first home win as Raiders’ coach, a 26-20 exhibition victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

He’s looking for his wife and four children, hoping to share a quick moment with them during what he minutes later calls “the best atmosphere” he has ever experienced for a preseason game.

The 46-year-old similarly beamed and greeted his extended family the week before, when he began his Raiders’ tenure with a 27-11 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in his hometown of Canton, Ohio, as part of the annual Hall of Fame Game.

“I think it’s important at this stage in my life to make sure that you at least stop and are aware of how cool some of the things are that we get to experience,” McDaniels explained on a Zoom call the day after the Vikings’ win. “If you don’t do that, when it’s all said and done, you’ll probably regret the fact that you didn’t take a little time to just acknowledge the journey.”

The smiles and introspection that have accompanied McDaniels throughout the process of preparing for his first season in Las Vegas are throwing off those who remember him most from his first stint as an NFL coach in Denver in 2009 and 2010. The then-33-year-old was known as a straight-faced disciplinarian, if not an all-out control freak.

He showed emotion after Bronco victories, but it was more of the fist-pumping, screaming variety in a not-so-subtle act of defiance to those who dared question a slew of controversial personnel and strategic decisions.

No one has ever disputed McDaniels’ football expertise—he was the offensive coordinator for all six of the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victories —but many wondered if he was cut out to be the face of a franchise after his rough time in Denver. He usurped all power within the organization, only to go 11-17 through a little more than a season and a half before getting fired late in the 2010 campaign.

McDaniels’ reputation, and prospects as a potential head coach, took another hit in 2018, when he accepted the Indianapolis Colts’ job only to renege at the last minute. He has continued to apologize for that change of heart ever since, including at his introductory news conference with the Raiders in January. That’s also where he acknowledged his ego and poor treatment of people sabotaging his time with the Broncos. He vowed not to let it happen with the Raiders.

He has been asked about how he’s approaching things differently in Las Vegas in most of his media appearances ever since, and has displayed great patience while addressing it.

“I’m at peace with the way we’re trying to do it,” McDaniels said in his final news conference of training camp. “I know this: I can only do what I can do and what I know how to do well. I think that being able to just defer to someone else who knows better than I do in certain situations, be a resource for other people, is really my No. 1 job.”

Collaboration is not remembered as a characteristic of McDaniels’ time in Denver. He immediately implemented his systems and policies, and anyone who didn’t fit or assimilate was cast out.

McDaniels infamously feuded with then-Broncos incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler, with the coach ultimately using his autonomy to trade the young star to the Chicago Bears. He replaced Cutler by reaching to take another quarterback, Tim Tebow, in the first round of the NFL Draft.

A new coach arriving to a franchise and bringing in his own preferred players is hardly out of the ordinary, and it’s a trend McDaniels has repeated in Las Vegas. He’s just done it in a gentler fashion, not disparaging former franchise favorites like a pair of captains in fullback Alec Ingold (not tenured, signed with the Dolphins) and edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue (traded to the Colts) on their way out.

It helps that his close confidant and college roommate, new general manager Dave Ziegler, has final say with the Raiders’ personnel (he served in an advisory role with the Broncos). But that only goes so far. McDaniels’ influence is still widespread on the roster, which is littered with former Patriot disciples like backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Jakob Johnson, edge rusher Chandler Jones and safety Duron Harmon.

“It’s like if you were getting babysat by your older brother and now the parents are nowhere at home and you’re stuck with your big brother for the weekend,” Bolden said earlier this summer of going from working with McDaniels as an offensive coordinator in New England to a coach in Las Vegas. “Josh has been cool. Just these past years to see him coming from Denver, coming back to New England. I’ve had him since I was a rookie, and just to see where he is now, I’ve appreciated his journey and I appreciate being part of his journey.”

Raiders’ practices were noticeably quieter this training camp. McDaniels’ predecessor, Jon Gruden, often came off like a caricature of an old-school, hard-nosed coach who would yell himself red in the face any time something went wrong.

McDaniels was reportedly that way in Denver, but he has rarely lost his cool thus far in Las Vegas. Of course, that’s easier in the preseason. The real test for whether McDaniels can maintain his calm will come if the Raiders hit a rough patch during the regular season.

By then, he might have already built up enough goodwill to escape the criticism that stalked his every move in Denver. McDaniels says he’s prioritizing personal relationships in Las Vegas, and through one offseason, he has demonstrated as much.

“It’s been a growth opportunity for me to try to put some of those things I’ve learned over time into place as the head coach, and I’ll continue to do that moving forward,” he said.

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