Dolphins Coach Search: Is Hafley On the Way? And Why This Wouldn't Be Philbin 2.0

The Miami Dolphins’ head coaching search might be coming to an end sooner than the interview list of 11 candidates would indicate.

Multiple national reports have indicated that Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is the favorite to land the Dolphins’ gig. We also know Hafley is setting up a second interview with the team next week, ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported Saturday morning.

The Dolphins also have scheduled a second interview with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and are working on additional ones, according to SI NFL writer Albert Breer.

But Hafley's emergence as the "leading candidate" should come as little surprise to Dolphins fans since Hafley spent two years working with new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in Green Bay, and Hafley has been the odds-on favorite for a while.

We’ll also note that while Hafley is the reported favorite in Miami, he’s been asked to do a second round of interviews with four other teams, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Jeff Hafley’s Coaching Resume

We’ve covered Hafley pretty extensively since the coaching search started, including the pros and cons of his candidacy as well as his background.

In case you need a refresher, Hafley’s latest and most robust NFL success has come in the last two seasons as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.

In 2024, the Packers ranked fifth in total defense and sixth in scoring defense, their best marks since their 2010 Super Bowl team.

This year, Hafley’s unit finished 12th in yards per game and 11th in points allowed per game. A lot of that drop-off came in the second half of the season, following Micah Parsons’ ACL tear.

Hafley’s unit also improved in key stats like third-down percentage, defensive success rate, and turnovers since his arrival in 2024.

The defensive coordinator also has good college experience, including a four-year stint as Boston College’s head coach and one year as the Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator.

Hafley had BC bowl-eligible in three of his four seasons, something that doesn’t look overly impressive on paper, but it is in the NIL era. Boston College is hardly a heavy hitter on the NIL and transfer portal, and Hafley did a nice job developing homegrown talent there.

Dolphins Coaching Deja Vu?

One of the common arguments Dolphins fans use against Hafley is that he reminds them of when the team hired Joe Philbin. Like Hafley, Philbin also came from the Packers in an attempt to bring that program to South Florida.

If you’re painting with broad strokes, sure, there are some parallels. However, that is a complete oversimplification of the situation.

There are two key differences between Philbin and Hafley. For starters, Hafley is the primary play-caller on his side of the football. When Miami hired Philbin, he was the Packers' offensive coordinator in title only.

Former head coach Mike McCarthy called the plays during Philbin’s tenure. Hafley has complete control of his side of the ball, especially considering the Packers’ current head coach, Matt LeFleur, is the offensive play-caller.

The second key difference is Hafley’s stint at Boston College. Philbin had never been a head coach before the Dolphins hired him. It’s on the college level, but a lot of the behind-the-scenes skills will translate for Hafley.

Commanding an entire room, running team meetings, and time management are all important parts of the job that fans don’t see. Hafley’s time at Boston College should give him the ability to do that better than most first-time head coaches.

If you want to voice concerns about Hafley, you can point to things like his 2024 defensive numbers being inflated by turnovers, or to the 2025 defense being too reliant on Parsons.

But comparing him to Philbin because they’re both from the Packers doesn’t make much sense.

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