Ex-Hafley Players Share What Stood Out Most, and It’s Exactly What Miami Needs

MOBILE, Alabama — When the Miami Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley to be their new head coach, one of the major talking points was his time at Boston College.

Hafley was the head coach there for four seasons from 2020 through 2023 before jumping back to the NFL to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator.

While some scoffed at Hafley’s record there, his experience running a program is likely one of the things that made him stand out among other first-time NFL head coaches.

We’re down in Mobile, Alabama, covering the annual Panini Senior Bowl, and there were several players in attendance who played under Hafley at BC. We asked two of his former players one simple question: What was your favorite part about playing under Hafley?

The answers we got should make Dolphins fans excited.

What Hafley’s BC Players Love About Him

The Dolphins — fair or not — got labeled as a soft team under head coach Mike McDaniel. It was a narrative that followed the Dolphins for the past four years, and the team never broke from it.

If what Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowery and wide receiver Lewis Bond said about Hafley is true, then Miami might have a chance at shedding that label in 2026.

Both players used the same word when asked about their favorite part of Hafley’s practices and coaching style: competition.

“It’s high intensity,” Bond said. “He’s a defensive mind, so it’s not good if the defense looked bad, but we got after it when he was the coach. The competition. We did a lot of 1-on-1s. We just competed the whole practice.”

Bowery mentioned Hafley had a significant emphasis on getting the offensive linemen to work 1-on-1s during practice as well.

“Just the competitive periods," Bowery said with a smile when asked about Hafley’s practices. “Tuesday practices get competitive with inside run stuff, like that.”

This, of course, mirrors what Hafley has said during his recent media hits. In every interview he’s done, he’s spoken about wanting tough players who play with high intensity.

In speaking with Bowery and Bond, it was clear that Hafley’s message got through to them and stuck with them even two years after Hafley left BC.

Some coaches who run hard practices can create friction with their players. Dolphins will likely remember that narrative when Brian Flores was the head coach.

Well, it seems like Hafley found a balance between keeping practice hard and making his players happy at Boston College.

“He’s a player’s coach,” Bond said. “I loved playing for him. He’s a coach I enjoyed from the moment I met him, and currently. He always has the player’s back, so that’s something that’s big for me.”

Bond’s words should carry some weight. He was recruited by Hafley, and he’s not a defensive player, so he didn’t spend as much direct time around him. Still, Bond felt like Hafley had his back.

Bowery had a similarly glowing review of the new Dolphins coach.

“He’s a great guy,” Bowery said. “Great coach, he knows his X's and O's — he’s a reputable guy. Miami has a great coach coming down there. I’m happy for him. I’m excited about it.”

Of course, neither player was going to say something bad about Hafley. However, it does feel meaningful that after two years, two of his former players remember just how competitive Hafley’s practices were and how much he had their back.

Regardless of how you feel about Hafley, the Dolphins could certainly use a coach who can walk the line between being player-friendly and tough.

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