The Miami Dolphins have ended their head coaching search after interviewing 11 different candidates. The team announced the hiring of Jeff Hafley as their new head coach. Hafley spent the previous two seasons with the Packers as their defensive coordinator.
Prior to returning to the NFL, Hafley had served as the head coach at Boston College for four seasons. Following a 7-6 season in 2023, he decided to leave Boston College. Hafley’s reason for leaving college football was he did not enjoy the college football landscape and lack of regulation for the NIL and transfer portal.
New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan worked with Hafley in Green Bay, where he was the Packers’ vice president of player personnel. Together, the pair made the postseason in the previous two years with the Packers as Hafley led Green Bay’s defense to two top-11 defenses in points per game allowed.
Richard Sherman Comments on Miami Dolphins Coach
One of the things Hafley is best known for is his ability to teach and communicate. It’s likely one of the reasons Hafley got the job in Miami as NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Hafley “blew everyone away” in his first interview with the Dolphins. Someone who shared a similar sentiment to that is former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. Hafley worked with Sherman in 2018, as Hafley was the defensive backs coach in San Francisco. At that time Sherman said of Hafley, “His preparation is some of the best I’ve seen. I’ve had some great defensive coaches and he’s right up there. His preparation. How he breaks down film. How easy he makes it for guys to understand. He paints a very vivid picture.”
Hafley’s ability to communicate is something Miami had been missing on the defensive side. Former Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer spoke about his time learning defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense. He said, “I didn’t understand our defense. Nobody understood our defense.”
Dolphins’ New Head Coach
For those same reasons, Hafley was a popular head coaching candidate around the league. He received a second interview in most of the places where he interviewed and was viewed as a strong candidate for the Steelers and Titans job. Once it became clear he was the Dolphins’ frontrunner, Miami acted quickly and hired him after a second interview. He was the only Dolphins coaching candidate to receive a second interview. He signed a five-year deal with the franchise.
Now, Hafley and the Dolphins must figure out a staff. As the scheme he ran with Green Bay differs from what Miami ran with Anthony Weaver, it seems likely Miami will part ways with most of their staff. Some of Weaver’s defensive staff have already begun exploring outside opportunities as Dolphins defensive backs coach Matt Araujo left to join the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff. He will reunite with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, who was a member of the Dolphins coaching staff alongside Araujo in 2023. Campanile was one of the 11 candidates the Dolphins interviewed before landing on Hafley as the right man for the job. The Dolphins have yet to announce the hiring of any staff hirings.
Richard Sherman Makes Feelings Clear on Dolphins’ New Head Coach