The Dolphins are close to naming a new head coach. They’re nearing an agreement with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Since their search for Mike McDaniel‘s replacement began over a week ago, the Dolphins interviewed 10 head coaching candidates. Hafley became the first member of the group to set up a second interview, and he emerged as a frontrunner for the job on Saturday. Two days later, Hafley is in position to secure his first NFL head coaching gig.
Hafley, who drew widespread interest across the league during this hiring cycle, had scheduled second meetings with the Raiders and Titans. The Cardinals also wanted to interview him again, per Albert Breer of SI.com.
The 46-year-old Hafley will instead head to Miami, where he has a key connection in rookie general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Hafley spent the past two seasons in Green Bay, where he worked with Sullivan. The Dolphins are the second NFL organization for Sullivan, who was a Packers employee from 2004-25.
Sullivan was a firsthand witness to Hafley’s impressive work with the Packers, who boasted quality defenses in both seasons under his leadership. The Packers ranked top 10 in points (sixth) and yards (fifth) in 2024. The unit was less successful this season (11th scoring and 12th in total defense), but losing Micah Parsons to a season-ending ACL tear in mid-December proved too much to overcome.
The Packers fizzled out after a 9-3-1 start in losing four straight games to end the regular season. The club then blew a 21-3 halftime lead to the Bears during a 31-27 loss in the wild-card round. Head coach Matt LaFleur will now work to find a replacement for Hafley.
A former Siena wide receiver, Hafley began his coaching career with Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2001. He served as a running backs coach that year, his lone season on the offensive side. Hafley was a college assistant on defensive staffs at Albany, Pittsburgh and Rutgers before jumping to the pros in 2012. He worked with defensive backs for the Buccaneers, Browns and 49ers through 2018, though Hafley went back to college as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and DBs coach the next season.
After a one-year with the Buckeyes, Hafley became a head coach for the first time at Boston College. The Eagles went 22-26 and played in two bowl games under Hafley from 2020-23. He then left for the Packers.
In exiting Green Bay for Miami, Hafley will become the Dolphins’ eighth straight first-time NFL head coach. They haven’t selected an experienced HC since Dave Wannstedt landed the role in 2000. The Dolphins’ most recent playoff win came during Wannstedt’s first season at the helm. They’ve gone to the postseason just five times since then, including twice during the McDaniel era.
Although McDaniel guided the Dolphins to playoff berths in each of his first two seasons at the controls, the team sputtered to a 15-19 mark from 2024-25. Owner Stephen Ross made a change after a 7-10 campaign in which McDaniel benched high-priced quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with three weeks left in the season. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers finished the year as Miami’s starting QB.
Picking Miami’s next head coach was the first major responsibility for Sullivan, who will cross off that task when Hafley’s agreement becomes official. Once Hafley assembles a staff, the Dolphins’ full attention will turn to their roster.
Whether to go forward with Tagovailoa will rank among the most important offseason decisions for the Dolphins’ new regime. Tagovailoa is open to a fresh start, which he could get under Hafley. Otherwise, cutting Tagovailoa would leave the Dolphins with a $99.2MM dead cap charge. That would likely make it more difficult for Hafley to lead a quick turnaround, but the Dolphins are confident they’ll right the ship under him.
Should have convinced Tomlin, Harbaugh, Minter, or Weaver and waited for Kubiak. Even McDermott could have been a good option. The Packers secondary looked like Keystone Cops at the end of the season.
Packers had a huge personnel problem in the corner group entering the year and it remained that way. Hafley isn’t the one who didn’t bring in any good outside corners.
The packers have below average corners, that was part of the problem at the end of the season the other part was losing parsons and an under achieving and inconsistent Gary
In all fairness, Lafleur and the coaches took Gary off the field alot this year even on 3rd down. I remember watching both Lions games with the Packers and he wasn’t on the field in some of the crucial spots. It was like they were trying to keep him from getting tired throughout the game
LaHafley …
Intriguing hire. He’s shown some good stuff as a coordinator and has HC experience from college. People in the league seem to love him. Curious what he’ll look like as an NFL HC and who he’ll bring in as coordinators. Dolphins aren’t going to be an easy job over the next couple of years.
Could he convince Walker or Willis to come to Miami?
Is the glass Hafley full, or Hafley empty?
Packers problem is Jordan Love ….not Halfley, keep watching, it’ll come to light soon, just like Stroud has shown he’s a poser , had folks fooled
Interesting you pointed out black qb’s, but yet leave Josh Allen out of the conversation
Was it him? Or Micah? Really just asking the packers faithful
No one good wants the job because Tua will have to play. They can move him, why have a sunk cost on bench?
Ten head coaching changes. What’s the over/under, one or two?
Too impatient to wait for Brian Flores?
lol
They are hiring Shula