The Miami Dolphins have reportedly agreed to appoint Jeff Hafley as their head coach, according to a source familiar with the decision on Monday. The deal is pending finalization as no contract has been signed yet.
Hafley will take over from Mike McDaniel, who was let go after a four-season record of 35-33. Additionally, the Dolphins parted ways with long-time general manager Chris Grier mid-season.
Having spent two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Hafley had a second interview with the Dolphins earlier in the day before being offered the coaching position. He will be reuniting with the new Dolphins GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan.
In 2024, the 46-year-old Hafley left his position as head coach at Boston College to join Green Bay as the defensive coordinator, where he collaborated with Sullivan for two seasons. Prior to his time in Green Bay, Hafley coached the defensive backs for San Francisco from 2016 to 2018 and served as the secondary coach for Cleveland for two years.
Jon-Eric Sullivan, who was previously the vice president of player personnel for the Green Bay Packers for 22 seasons, has taken on the role of GM for the Dolphins.
The appointment of Hafley aligns with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’s strategy of hiring candidates without prior NFL head coaching experience. Ross has a history of selecting coaches like Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel, who all lacked previous NFL head coaching experience.
Mike McDaniel’s dismissal came after a 7-10 season, marking the second consecutive year the team missed the playoffs. The Dolphins are now expected to undergo significant changes, potentially involving a new quarterback and transitioning away from Tua Tagovailoa, the former first-round draft pick.
Despite signing a lucrative contract extension in July 2024, Tagovailoa faced challenges in the 2025 season, with 15 interceptions – the second-highest in the NFL during that season. Releasing Tagovailoa would have financial implications for the team due to his guaranteed earnings for 2026.
The Dolphins considered various candidates during their coaching search, including Kevin Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, Robert Saleh, Chris Shula, and Anthony Campanile, before finalizing the decision to hire Jeff Hafley as the new head coach.