Dolphins set to hire former Packers DC Jeff Hafley as head coach
The search is officially over.
After about 10 days, the Miami Dolphins decided to hire Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, 46, as the 15th head coach in franchise history, a source confirmed to the Miami Herald. Widely regarded as one of the brightest, young defensive minds in the league, Hafley will be tasked with the turnaround of a franchise that has gone 15-19 and missed out on the playoffs over the past two seasons.
“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross said in a statement. “Jeff is an accomplished coach with a proven track record as a leader and motivator. He has tenacity and grit, while at the same time establishing trust with his players in order to get the most out of them. I am excited to see where Jeff leads us, alongside Jon-Eric Sullivan and our entire football operation, as we seek to return the Dolphins to sustained success.”
The move comes roughly 10 days after the Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan, the former vice president of player personnel for the Packers, as general manager. Sullivan and Hafley worked together for the past two seasons with the latter dramatically turning around Green Bay’s defense. Unlike many coordinators in the 2025 coaching cycle, Hafley actually brings head coaching experience — albeit at the collegiate level.
“It’s always been important to me to try to make the game simpler for players because part of me being a coach is I have to be a great teacher,” Hafley told Packers.com in Feb. 2024, later adding that simplicity allows players to “go out and play fast and aggressive and not worry about anything.”
Despite the success that Hafley has experienced in the NFL, his unit didn’t rank favorably in 2025 — even with the addition of star edge rusher Micah Parsons who only played 14 games prior to an ACL tear that ended his season. The defense ranked closer to the middle of the pack in several areas including total yards (12th), points (11th) and passing defense (11th). Other areas — from takeaways (26th) to rushing defense (18th) — saw a significant drop in production.
Still, Packers coach Mike LaFleur has previously raved about Hafley’s ability to connect with players.
“I love his demeanor,” LaFleur said. “I love his passion for football, his passion for people. I think he’s an unbelievable communicator. He’s got a great demeanor about him. He’s well liked, but he’s demanding at the same time.”
Hafley joined the Packers in 2024 and made an immediate impact. Prior to his arrival, Green Bay had only 18 takeaways in 2023. That number jumped to 31 the following year, which not only ranked fourth in the league but also was the largest, single-season takeaway turnaround in the franchise’s storied history.
The 2024 unit ranked in the top 10 in several categories including total defense (fifth), run defense (seventh), scoring defense (sixth), yards per play (fifth) and sacks (tied for eighth).
“Jeff is a man of integrity, intellect and great passion who players will buy into and play for,” Sullivan said in a statement. “He has a vision for the kind of team we will be and the ability to motivate them to move in one direction on the path towards that goal. I’m thrilled to go on this journey with him and together we will build a winner that this organization deserves.”
Prior to the Packers, Hafley led the Boston College Eagles program for four seasons from 2020 to 2023. His highlights with BCU included the most wins by a first-year head coach in 2020, three bowl-eligible seasons and posting the No. 3-ranked passing defense in college football in 2021.
Hafley’s previous stops included co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes (2019), defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers (2016-18) and the secondary coach for the Cleveland Browns (2014-15). He also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the secondary and safeties coach (2013) as well as the assistant defensive backs coach (2012).
The newly minted Dolphins coach got his start in college in 2001 as the running backs coach at Worcester Polytechnic. Hafley then made the jump to the mid-majors when the University of Albany hired him as a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach the following year. He served in that role until the 2004 scene when he added recruiting coordinator to his resume.
Hafley got the bump to the Power 5 when the University of Pittsburgh made him the defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach in 2006. By 2008, he was the secondary coach. Rutgers poached him from the Panthers to be their secondary coach in 2011.
With Hafley and Sullivan at the helm, the hope is that the Dolphins can return to prominence sooner rather than later. Miami has gone nearly a quarter of a century without a playoff victory, one of the longest streaks in professional sports. Meanwhile, the Packers have been one of the most legendary organizations in the NFL, something that the duo will look to replicate in South Florida.
This story was originally published January 19, 2026 at 5:12 PM.
