Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coaching candidate pool just got a little bit thinner. Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, one of a handful of Steelers interviewees, appears to be headed to South Florida.
“The #Dolphins have zeroed in on #Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach, per me and @TomPelissero,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport wrote Monday evening on X. “The two sides need to do a deal, and they are motivated to do so. One of the most coveted candidates.”
The Steelers spoke to Hafley in a virtual interview on Saturday. President Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan are leading the charge in Pittsburgh’s search.
The #Dolphins have zeroed in on #Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach, per me and @TomPelissero.
The two sides need to do a deal, and they are motivated to do so. One of most coveted candidates. pic.twitter.com/yNc26tytW8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2026
The Steelers have also interviewed Chris Shula, Nate Scheelhaase, Jesse Minter, Brian Flores, Anthony Weaver and Klay Kubiak. They’ve confirmed interest in or scheduled interviews with Ejiro Evero and Mike McCarthy, as well.
Hafley just finished his second season as the Packers’ defense coordinator. He was previously the head coach at Boston College (2020-23), the co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach at Ohio State (2019) and was an NFL assistant with the San Francisco 49ers (2016-18), Cleveland Browns (2014-15) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-13).
Under Hafley’s direction, the Packers ranked No. 12 in total yards allowed per game (311.8), No. 11 in passing yards allowed per game (194.1) and No. 11 in points allowed per game (21.2).
The Dolphins are the third team to fill their head coaching vacancy, joining the Atlanta Falcons (Kevin Stefanski) and the New York Giants (John Harbaugh).
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Dolphins Snap Up Steelers Head Coach Candidate
