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Miami’s new head coach in portrait
Who is Jeff Hafley – and why is he a good fit for the Dolphins?
The Miami Dolphins are starting a new era – and are relying on a coach who doesn’t stand for glamor, but for structure. Jeff Hafley is the new head coach at South Florida. The 46-year-old comes from Green Bay, where he most recently worked as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, and is now taking over a team that desperately needs a clear restart after a chaotic season.
But who is Jeff Hafley actually? And why does Miami believe a defense coach from Green Bay is exactly the right man to lead the franchise back to the playoffs?
From college assistant to NFL head coach
Hafley’s career is not a classic “hype run”, but rather a coaching path that has been seen more often in the past: step by step, station by station – and always with a focus on detailed work. Born in New Jersey in 1979, he played wide receiver at Siena College before moving straight into coaching.
After receiving his master’s degree from the University at Albany, he initially worked in college football, including at Worcester Polytechnic and Albany, and later also at Pittsburgh and Rutgers. There he made a name for himself primarily as a secondary coach: his units were always considered disciplined, well prepared and technically clean.
In 2012, he made the jump to the NFL to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after which Hafley worked for the Cleveland Browns (2014-15) and the San Francisco 49ers (2016-18). These years in different systems are an important part of his profile: Hafley is not a coach who only knows “his one defense,” but rather someone who adapts and has adopted different philosophies.
In 2019, he returned to Ohio State as co-defensive coordinator – a stepping stone to the highest college level. The next step was the biggest: Head Coach at Boston College (2020-2023). There Hafley gained valuable experience as a boss, shaped the culture, developed talent and at the same time learned how difficult it is to stay at the top without consistency. It is precisely this head coaching experience that is a plus point for Miami.
Green Bay: why Hafley convinced as defensive coordinator
In January 2024 he went back to the NFL – as defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. There, Hafley delivered exactly what Miami is bringing him in for now: a defense with structure and measurable impact. In 2024, the Packers were near the top of the league: 5th in yards allowed, 6th in points allowed. For Green Bay, it was a defensive leap the likes of which the franchise hadn’t seen in years.
Last summer, Hafley’s unit got a massive upgrade: Green Bay traded Micah Parsons from Dallas and gave him a four-year, $188 million contract. Until his ACL tear in Week 15, Parsons was dominant with 12.5 sacks, 83 quarterback pressures and 26 tackles for loss.
Nevertheless, Green Bay remained stable even after Parsons’ loss: The Packers finished 2025 with No. 12 total defense and No. 11 scoring defense. Even in the wild card loss against the Bears (27:31), Hafley’s DNA was evident: aggressive, variable, turnover-oriented – two interceptions and a fumble kept Green Bay in the game for a long time. Hafley’s approach is less “magic” than clean football: multiple coverages, variable pressure, clear rules. Aggressive, but not headless.
Dolphins Defense: Stars available, but without stability
In Miami the starting position is different: the talent is there, the results were not there in 2025. Despite well-known players like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Bradley Chubb, pass rusher Chop Robinson and Jordan Phillips, the defense kept tipping in the wrong direction.
The Dolphins (7-10) allowed 24.9 points per game (24th), were vulnerable to the pass (195.4 pass yards per game, 25th) and allowed opposing quarterbacks to post an opponent rating of 105.3. Looking deeper, the unit was far from a top defense: With 0.08 EPA per play (27th place), Miami was one of the most inefficient defenses in the league.
The pass rush brought pressure at times, but overall what made good defenses in January was missing: stops, turnovers, control. That’s exactly why Hafley seems like a logical answer for Miami – because he doesn’t focus on “more talent”, but rather on clear rules and a reliable structure.
Why Sullivan could be the key
Hafley did not have a direct connection to Miami before his signing; the deciding factor is rather Jon-Eric Sullivan. The new GM knows Hafley from Green Bay, knows how he works, how he communicates and what he needs to implement his concept.
This is a real plus for the franchise: Coach and GM don’t start as strangers, but as a duo with common ground. After years in which Miami often seemed like a team that was constantly trying out new directions, things should be clearer and more stable this time. There is also a high draft pick (No. 11) with which Miami can strengthen the lines or sharpen the defense in a targeted manner.
Does Jeff Hafley really fit in with Miami? Opportunities and question marks
At first glance, the fit seems logical: Miami didn’t need another coach to quickly shine. Miami needed someone to bring order and stabilize the franchise again.
Hafley has exactly the right profile for this: NFL experience, head coaching experience from college and a basic defensive idea that is currently extremely valuable again in the league. Especially in a phase in which the Dolphins need a fresh start on several levels – athletically, personnel and financially – structure is a real argument.
Of course, risks remain: It is Hafley’s first head coaching job in the NFL. He not only has to coach defense, but also lead a complete program: putting together a staff, keeping the offense stable, managing the locker room – and dealing with the pressure of expectations in Miami.
Nevertheless: the step makes sense. Hafley stands for substance. And it’s exactly this substance that the franchise has been missing recently. If Miami consistently follows this path, Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan could actually be the duo that turns a talented but shaky team back into a team with a clear identity.
