Earlier today, the Miami Dolphins hit the reset button by hiring former Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach in yet another NFL dub for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The 46-year-old defensive specialist is coming straight from a two-year stint as the DC for the Green Bay Packers. Word around the country is that this is one of the fastest head coach hires in NFL history.

It didn’t take Miami more than 11 days from start to finish. After firing Mike McDaniel on January 8, following a disappointing 7–10 season, the Dolphins’ front office interviewed eight different candidates before settling on the Hafley.

The Packers DC reportedly “blew everyone away” during his interviews, and even though he’s a first-time NFL head coach, his four years leading Boston College gave the Dolphins enough faith to hand him the keys to the team.

“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” said Dolphins owner Stephen Ross through a statement on 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 is walking into a bit of a fixer-upper in Miami. The team is currently facing a massive financial headache, projected to be about $30 million over the salary cap before they even make any moves. He’s also inheriting a roster with significant question marks at the most critical positions.

For example, star wideout Tyreek Hill faces a serious knee injury, with rumors that the team might cut him or restructure his big contract to stay afloat. The main drama is at quarterback: their 2025 QB1, Tua Tagovailoa, had a down year, leading the league in picks (15) before being benched for Quinn Ewers late in the season.

To put things into perspective, Hafley’s first big task will be deciding if he wants to fix and mend things with Tua or go all-in on Ewers.

One thing you can expect from Hafley is his ‘hair on fire’ approach. He’s a big fan of a 4-3 defensive front and aggressive man-to-man coverage, which is a pretty significant shift from the zone-heavy schemes Miami has been running lately. Hafley’s system can work, and was a welcome upgrade from the terrible Joe Barry years for the Packers fans.

With the No. 11 overall pick in the upcoming draft, Hafley and Sullivan are expected to focus on rebuilding the trenches. By 2026, the aim is to finally end the brutal 25-year playoff win drought, the longest in current NFL history.

Not going to lie, by the looks of the schedule and uncertainty across the program, it’s going to be a tough climb next season. Nonetheless, the Dolphins evidently trust the Ohio State man to lead them back to the glory days.

Jeff Hafley often flies under the radar

Before taking the head coach gig, Jeff Hafley had built a reputation as a defensive mastermind through more or less two decades of coaching. He spent seven years as an NFL secondary coach for teams like the 49ers and Browns before a pivotal return to the college ranks.

After a three year tenure at the Boston College program as head coach from 2020 to 2023, he eventually returned to the NFL to coordinate a top-tier Green Bay Packers defense in 2024 and 2025. At Green Bay, Hafley worked with Packers’ vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. Hafley and Sullivan will reunite in Miami as Sullivan has been hired as the new General Manager for the Dolphins, replacing Chris Grier.

His single season at Ohio State in 2019 is the ‘launchpad’ for his head coaching career. Serving as the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, Hafley orchestrated one of the most dramatic defensive turnarounds in college football history.

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Under his watch, the Buckeyes’ defense rose from 72nd to No. 1, allowing 259.7 yards per game and leading in yards allowed per play. Hafley’s “press-man” scheme made them a nightmare for quarterbacks, ranking No. 1 in passing defense at 156 yards per game. He was a Broyles Award finalist, which adds another purple feather to his cap.

He even had us believe Jeff Okudah would be one of the best players in the NFL, much to the chagrin of Lions’ fans. Considering what Hafley has shown in Lambeau Field, it’s only a matter of time before you see wins coming for Miami, if everything goes according to plan.