Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals have had a lengthy list of head coaching candidates, and one by one, names have been crossed off.
On Monday evening, as the Indiana Hoosiers were winning their first National Championship, the Miami Dolphins decided to ink Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley as their new head coach.
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Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross released this statement:
“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way. Jeff is an accomplished coach with a proven track record as a leader and motivator. He has tenacity and grit, while at the same time establishing trust with his players in order to get the most out of them.”
Hafley was signed to the standard five-year coaching deal with the amount per year undisclosed, as usual with coaches’ salaries.
Hafley, age 46, was on the short list of quite a few NFL clubs that had dismissed their head coach. The Cleveland Browns were high on him as a candidate because of his defensive abilities and had been their DB coach from 2014-2015.
He was head coach of Boston College from 2020-2023 before the Packers hired him in 2024 to lead their defense. At Boston College he was 22-26-0. Hafley’s teams were ranked #5 in his first NFL season with Green Bay, and #12 overall this past season. His teams have plenty of sacks and get constant pressure on the offensive backfield on passing downs.
Hafley’s name began to surface as a prospect for the Cardinals in the second round of interview requests. The team had a formal interview with him last week and requested a second interview. However, Miami made him an offer on Monday after a second meeting with the talented, defensive-minded coach.
Another candidate high on Arizona’s list was Robert Saleh, who became the Tennessee Titans new head coach on the same day as Hafley.
No word on who the Cardinals will hire, but the odds-on favorite is Denver Broncos DC Vance Joseph.
Hafley joins new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who had been with the Packers since 2004.
