Titans Face Major Disadvantage For Jeff Hafley

In no world did the Tennessee Titans, a team that fired their head coach after Week 6, expect to be this far behind in the search for a head coach.

While yes, they scheduled a trio of second round interviews, there's a real shot only one of those ends up happening.

Their first choice, Kevin Stefanski, decided he's best suited as the Atlanta Falcons head coach. No hard feelings, Titans must move on.

Now, the Titans learned there's a chance Jeff Hafley doesn't make it out of Miami. The Dolphins scheduled their interview with the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator the day before Tennessee had theirs scheduled, which tells you all you need to know.

Dolphins Hot Pursuit Of Hafley

Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is scheduled for a second interview with the Dolphins on Monday, and a second interview with the Titans on Tuesday, per sources.

These things can accelerate, of course. We'll see how aggressive Miami is.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 18, 2026

After firing Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins decided to go all in on Hafley. Even though the Packers' defense wasn't exactly perfect down the stretch, Hafley can point out Micah Parsons' absence as a solid excuse.

Regardless, the Dolphins have an interview scheduled with the former Boston College head coach on Jan. 19. The next day, Jan. 20, Hafley is scheduled to be in Tennessee.

The Titans are looking for someone with head coaching experience, and Hafley has just that. While it's not at the NFL level, he went 21-26 at Boston College, which doesn't include a bowl win in his lone appearance.

Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley speaks during a press conference Thursday, February 22, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hafley didn't spend too long in Green Bay before throwing his name in the head coach carousel. With how many openings there were this year, it was only a matter of time before a guy like him hit the market and was scooped up in no time.

Tennessee Must Do Everything To Interview Hafley

Packers DC Jeff Hafley has emerged as a frontrunner for the Dolphins head coaching job, per sources.

No final decisions made. More interviews are scheduled. Four other teams have requested second interviews with Hafley. But he appears to be the leading candidate in Miami. pic.twitter.com/nzjSjPU81J
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 17, 2026

At this point, it feels like there's a 75% chance Hafley never leaves Miami after his second interview. While it's great to see him schedule something with Tennessee, that doesn't mean he has to follow up on it.

Should Hafley cut a deal with the Dolphins the day prior to his second Titans interview, that would leave this team with only Matt Nagy on the radar. That's not a name most fans are too comfortable with, though they still have one final day of interviews (Jan. 18) before they decide who else is moving on to the second round.

The Titans' lack of urgency has hurt them, big time. It started with Harbaugh and Stefanski, and now Hafley could be the next guy out without ever giving the Titans a second look.

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