With the Miami Dolphins firing Mike McDaniel a week ago, the team has been looking to hire its next head coach, especially under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. As the Dolphins have been requesting interviews with a myriad of candidates, there is one who has likely stood out from the rest.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator (DC) Jeff Hafley “has emerged as a frontrunner” for the open head coaching role.
“Packers DC Jeff Hafley has emerged as a frontrunner for the Dolphins head coaching job, per sources,” Pelissero wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “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.”
Hafley is the first candidate for Miami who has had a second interview, which could already put him in the lead among others, but one would wonder if the team will do their due diligence and conduct a thorough search.
Besides Hafley, the Dolphins have interviewed Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator DC Chris Shula, former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, San Francisco 49ers DC Robert Saleh, Jacksonville Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile, and Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter.
Most of these options, including Hafley, have interviewed for other open jobs, which has made the coaching market a hot one. As referenced below, Hafley being a frontrunner for the job is not too surprising since the Packers coach has been with Sullivan at the organization.
With the success of Green Bay's defense, his respect among players, and even four years of head coaching experience at Boston College, though at the collegiate level, he could be high among other teams' lists. Miami looks to improve after a 7-10 record, which put them third in the AFC East.
