Former Cleveland Browns and Ohio State defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley has been hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team announced Monday.
Hafley, 46, spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He joins the Dolphins after the franchise hired former Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as its general manager earlier this month.
“Jeff is a man of integrity, intellect and great passion who players will buy into and play for,” Sullivan said in a statement. “He has a vision for the kind of team we will be and the ability to motivate them to move in one direction on the path towards that goal. I’m thrilled to go on this journey with him and together we will build a winner that this organization deserves.”
Prior to his time with the Packers, Hafley coached more than two decades at the NFL and collegiate levels. He served as head coach for Boston College from 2020-23, leading the Eagles to a 22-26 record in four seasons, including a win in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl in his final season.
Hafley was hired by BC after he served one season as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2019. He also had previous stops as DBs coach under head coach Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers (2016-18) and Cleveland Browns (2014-15).
He also served in the same role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012-13, and at Rutgers University, Pittsburgh, and Albany.
“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” Dolphins chairman and owner Stephen M. Ross said in a statement. “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. I am excited to see where Jeff leads us, alongside Jon-Eric Sullivan and our entire football operation, as we seek to return the Dolphins to sustained success.”
