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The Miami Dolphins have landed one of the top head coach candidates in this coaching carousel cycle.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has reached an agreement to become the Dolphins’ next head coach, NFL Media reported Monday. This will mark the 46-year-old Hafley’s first head coaching job in the NFL.
Hafley has previous head coaching experience, though. He was Boston College‘s head coach from 2020 to 2023, going 22-26. He departed BC on his own volition following the 2023 season to become the Packers’ defensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season.
Hafley told FOX Sports’ Greg Auman in October that he felt like he needed to take the job with the Packers and step down as a head coach to find his enjoyment in coaching again.
“I didn’t know what my expectation was, other than I couldn’t wait to get back to coaching football and immersing myself in football again,” Hafley told Auman. “So far, it’s been a lot of fun. You ask if this is what I expected? Yeah. I love what I’m doing. I love going to work. I love the guys I coach. I love being around the staff. I look forward to it every day.”
Hafley helped Green Bay’s defense become one of the top units in the NFL despite being one of the league’s defenses. They were fifth in total defense in 2024 and 12th in total defense in 2025.
As Hafley helped the Packers find success on defense during his two seasons with the organization, FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna ranked him as the seventh-best head coach candidate this offseason. FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur had ranked the Dolphins’ job as the worst head coaching job available of the eight vacancies, though, following the Buffalo Bills‘ decision to fire Sean McDermott earlier Monday.
Hafley will follow another key member of the Packers’ organization to South Florida. Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan was hired as the Dolphins’ general manager earlier in January.
The Dolphins’ decisions to hire Sullivan and Hafley came after their second straight losing season. Longtime general manager Chris Grier parted ways with the franchise in October, while head coach Mike McDaniel was fired after four seasons amid the team’s search for a new general manager. The Dolphins had gone 20-14 in McDaniel’s first two seasons in Miami, making the playoffs each year. But they went 15-19 in the last two years.
Miami’s the third team to hire a head coach this offseason. The New York Giants made their deal with John Harbaugh official over the weekend, while the Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski on Saturday. Seven teams remain without a head coach.
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