The Miami Dolphins may have an early favorite to fill their vacant head coaching position. While the team is still scheduling virtual and in-person interviews for this weekend and into next week, it is beginning to sound like Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has an early lead in landing the job.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the first round of virtual interviews appears to have pushed Hafley into the favored position. “Sources say Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has
emerged as a frontrunner for the Dolphins head coaching job,” Pelissero said on an appearance on NFL GameDay Morning on Sunday. “No final decisions have yet been made, they have an interview scheduled on Sunday with Bills [offensive coordinator] Joe Brady, [and] multiple in-person interviews scheduled as well this coming week. But I’m told Hafley blew everyone away in his initial, vitrual interview with the Dolphins. He worked with their new [general manager] Jon-Eric Sullivan in Green Bay, has head coaching experience at Boston College. At this point, Hafley appears to be the leading candidate in Miami.”
Hafley has been the defensive coordinator for the Packers the last two seasons, following a four-year stint as the head coach at Boston College. He has also worked for the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a coaching career that also includes 12 years as an assistant coach at the college level.
Pelissero added, “The Dolphins are not alone here. The Titans, Falcons, Raiders, and Cardinals have also asked Hafley to come in for a second interview. He is also interviewing for the Steelers head coaching job today.“
Mike Garafolo then added, “The Packers are not going to be caught off guard, by the way. They have already done some work on possible DC replacements, expecting to lose Hafley there.”
Teams can begin holding in-person interviews with coaches under contract with another team on Monday.
