MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins have appointed Jeff Hafley, the former defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, as their new head coach, according to sources reported by ESPN”s Adam Schefter on Monday.
At 46, Hafley interviewed for the second time with the Dolphins on Monday. He will work alongside the newly appointed general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who took over for longtime GM Chris Grier earlier this month. Hafley and Sullivan have a history of collaboration, having worked together for the last two seasons in Green Bay.
During his tenure as the Packers” defensive coordinator, Hafley oversaw a unit that achieved impressive rankings, placing ninth in yards allowed per game, sixth in yards per play, and eighth in points allowed per game.
In a show of support, Micah Parsons, a standout pass rusher for the Packers, congratulated Hafley via a post on X, stating, “Genuinely happy for Haf! Great guy, great person! Gonna miss his energy!”
The Dolphins are in the midst of a significant overhaul, having not secured a playoff victory in 25 seasons, which is the longest drought in the NFL. Their last playoff win occurred on December 30, 2000, against the Indianapolis Colts, coinciding with Hafley”s senior year at Siena.
Before his role in Green Bay, Hafley was the head coach at Boston College, where he recorded a 22-26 record over four seasons. He becomes the eighth consecutive head coach for the Dolphins without prior NFL head coaching experience; the last coach with such experience was Dave Wannstedt, who last led the team in 2000.
Hafley”s previous NFL coaching experience includes stints as a defensive backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers from 2012 to 2018. His coaching career began in 2001 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute as a running backs coach, leading to positions at Albany, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Ohio State, where he served as the defensive coordinator in 2019.
Following the recent dismissal of Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel after the last game of the season, the Dolphins are looking to reset their franchise. In an interview with the team”s media, Sullivan highlighted several players as foundational pieces for the future, including Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer, and De”Von Achane. Notably, he did not mention quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched late in the season, leaving uncertainty about his status with the team.
