The Miami Dolphins have finalized an agreement with Jeff Hafley, appointing him as their new head coach, according to a source familiar with the decision. The deal is pending formal contract signing.
Hafley will take over from Mike McDaniel, who was dismissed after achieving a 35-33 record over four seasons. The Dolphins also parted ways with long-serving general manager Chris Grier mid-season.
Having previously served as the head coach at Boston College and the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Hafley underwent a second interview with the Dolphins earlier on Monday before being offered the position. He will be reuniting with the new Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
After leaving his post at Boston College in 2024, Hafley joined Green Bay as their defensive coordinator, collaborating with Sullivan for two seasons. Prior to that, he coached the defensive backs at San Francisco from 2016 to 2018 and served as the secondary coach for Cleveland for two years.
Sullivan, who was previously the vice president of player personnel for the Packers, brings 22 seasons of experience with Green Bay to his new role as the Dolphins’ GM.
This appointment aligns with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ strategy of selecting candidates without prior NFL head coaching experience. Since taking over as majority owner in 2009, Ross has favored hiring unproven coaches, such as Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel was relieved of his duties after posting a 7-10 record and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. This decision signals a potential organizational overhaul, including the search for a new quarterback and likely moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, the former first-round pick.
Tagovailoa faced a challenging season in 2025, being benched for the final three games due to a decline in accuracy and mobility despite throwing for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns. He signed a lucrative contract extension in July 2024 but ended the season with 15 interceptions, the second-highest in the league and a career high.
With an assured $54 million for the 2026 season, releasing Tagovailoa would result in significant salary cap implications for the Dolphins.
In their quest for a new head coach, the Dolphins also considered former Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski, who recently joined Atlanta, as well as candidates like Klint Kubiak, Robert Saleh, Chris Shula, and Anthony Campanile during the selection process.
