Dolphins hire former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins hired former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their coach on Monday, ending a swift search and tasking him with turning around a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years.

Hafley replaces Mike McDaniel, who was fired earlier this month after going 35-33 in four seasons. The Dolphins also fired longtime general manager Chris Grier during the season.

“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” owner Stephen Ross said in a statement Monday night. “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, who spent two seasons in Green Bay, met with the Dolphins for a second interview earlier Monday before he was offered the job. He will rejoin new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan in Miami.

The 46-year-old Hafley left his job as head coach at Boston College in 2024 to become defensive coordinator in Green Bay, where he worked with Sullivan for the past two seasons. Hafley also coached San Francisco’s defensive backs from 2016-18 after spending two years as Cleveland’s secondary coach.

Sullivan, formerly Green Bay’s vice president of player personnel, spent 22 seasons with the Packe...