Dolphins to hire Jeff Hafley as new head coach
The Miami Dolphins are working to finalize a deal that will make Green Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley their next head coach, according to multiple reports .
Hafley was an early favorite for the job when the Dolphins landed on former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. The former Boston College head coach emerged as a clear frontrunner for the role after reportedly acing his first interview with the Dolphins.
"I’m told Hafley blew everyone away in his initial virtual interview with the Dolphins," Tom Pelissero said on NFL Network on Saturday . "He worked with their new GM 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.”
On Monday, Hafley had his second interview with the Dolphins and that was evidently enough for the team's leadership to be sold on their choice.
Hafley, 46, took over as the Packers' defensive coordinator in 2024 after a four-year stint at BC. In his first season with Green Bay, the team finished No. 5 in yards allowed, giving up 314.5 per game. After the Packers acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons just before the start of the 2025 season, the defense was even better and gave up only 278.7 yards per game through the first 12 weeks.
When injuries stacked up for the Packers defense, including a season-ending knee injury for Parsons, the team struggled down the stretch. It allowed an average of 372.5 yards in the last six weeks of the regular season to finish No. 12 in yards allowed. In Green Bay's postseason loss to the Chicago Bears , the defense gave up a season-high 445 yards.
In Miami, Hafley will take charge of a defense that plummeted from No. 4 in the NFL during the 2024 season to No. 22 a year later. The Dolphins traded away pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and will likely look to move on from Bradley Chubb due to salary cap constraints.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins to hire Jeff Hafley as new head coach
