As the Miami Dolphins continue their search for a head coach, one singular name has come to the forefront: Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The Dolphins just recently announced that they will be holding a second, in-person interview with the Miami Dolphins for their vacant head coach position. Hafley has never held a head coaching job in the NFL, but did coach in the college ranks, as the head coach of the Boston College Eagles.
With the BC Eagles, Hafley went 22-26, winning the Fenway Bowl and going 7-6 in his final season with the program. Prior to his head coaching gig, he was the defensive coordinator for Ohio State as well.
Earlier in his career, he spent some time in the NFL, as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers. He has also already met with the Cardinals, Browns and Raiders as they also continue their head coaching searches.
Hafley Emerges as the Early Favorite
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the first interview Hafley held with the organization vaulted him into being the heavy frontrunner for the job: “I’m told Hafley blew everyone away in his initial, vitrual interview with the Dolphins. He worked with their new [general manager] Jon-Eric Sullivan in Green Bay, has head coaching experience at Boston College. At this point, Hafley appears to be the leading candidate in Miami.”
While the Dolphins are not alone in chasing the signature of Hafley, they certainly feel like he may be the best candidate for the job. However, he is not the only person of interest the Dolphins are interviewing on Monday.
Kelvin Sheppard Brings Familiarity, but Limited Experience
The Dolphins will also interview the Lions‘ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard as well. Sheppard is another interesting case for the Fins as he has family in southern Florida and was a former Dolphins linebacker. In the prime of his career, he had his best season in the NFL with the franchise in 2015.
That being said, Sheppard does not have a lot going for him in terms of the experience department. While Hafley has at least head coached in the college ranks, Sheppard has no head coaching experience to speak of. He began his career at LSU as a director of player development. Since then, he’s been with the Lions, working his way up from outside linebackers coach all the ay to defensive coordinator in 2024.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Sheppard’s adjustments to his new role: “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot …You learn along the way. You make adjustments. You find things that you believe in. You throw other things to the side that don’t fit you. You find ways to adjust, and it’s just part of the process. I think Shep’s done a damn good job. There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep.”
Either way the Dolphins hope that both candidates continue to blow them away and can ultimately help the franchise.
Dolphins Line Up Interviews with Jeff Hafley and Kelvin Sheppard