What Makes Jeff Hafley Such a Popular Coaching Candidate for Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins’ head coaching search is heating up as the team was scheduled to hold interviews Thursday with Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter and San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh.

They’re just two of 10 total candidates for the Dolphins’ job, but one of them seems to be the odds-on favorite at just about every sportsbook: Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley.

Hafley interviewed with the team Wednesday, and his connection to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, thanks to their time on the Packers, doesn’t make it hard to connect the dots.

Since Hafley has become such a central figure in the Dolphins’ search, as well as a very popular candidate among those teams with an opening, it’s worth taking a look at him in depth, like we did with former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski.

Why is Hafley such a hot candidate besides his connection to Sullivan? Let’s dive in.

Jeff Hafley’s Background, Defensive Acumen

Let’s start with the obvious. Hafley’s latest and most robust NFL success has come in the last two seasons as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.

Some fans have scoffed at the job Hafley has done with Green Bay’s defense, but the numbers are fairly promising. 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.

There’s more to a head coaching candidate than the performance of his primary unit. How much experience the coach has is a big deal, and Hafley has a feather in his cap that many first-time NFL head coaches won’t.

Hafley spent four seasons as the head coach at Boston College. While his 22-26 record won’t impress many (and that’s fair), NFL teams probably aren’t overly worried about it.

What they do care about is what it means for Hafley’s transition from leading one side of the ball to leading an entire team. That is not a foreign concept to him. Hafley knows how to manage competing interests, run team meetings, and use his time effectively.

In fact, given how crazy NIL and the transfer portal have gotten, it’s actually probably harder to manage an entire team in college football — don’t forget about recruiting, too.

Managing an entire team is something that has sunk a lot of good play-callers. Mike McDaniel had significant difficulties in that area, and other candidates such as Chris Shula, Jesse Minter and Klink Kubiak lack that experience.

Is that putting too much stock in a four-year stint at Boston College? Maybe, but for an NFL team, it’s a safety net of sorts. Simply put, there’s less risk in a candidate like Hafley because he has that experience. There's some proof of concept that the promotion won't be too much for him.

Fans don’t see that part of the job, so it’s easy to dismiss it, but it’s a significant part of the gig.

Moving past that, Hafley comes from the Matt LaFleur coaching tree. That has branches into the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay coaching tree, which means Hafley should have plenty of quality candidates to hire from on both sides of the ball.

Offense is the far more pressing question since Hafley will likely call the defense. If you’re going to deal with the “brain drain” at OC, it’s best to have an HC who can hire from the league’s most fruitful offensive coaching tree.

So Hafley has two years as a successful play-caller in the NFL, head coaching experience (at a lower level), and the ability to hire from an extensive and successful coaching tree.

That’s a pretty well-rounded resume, and his experience with Sullivan means those two shouldn’t butt heads with the direction and process of the organization.

If you’re wondering why Hafley is a hot candidate, that’s why.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage