Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley Lands High Praise Despite Rough Start

During the NFL offseason, the Miami Dolphins decided to hit the reset button. Among the notable moves were the decisions to move on from head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Front office changes were made as well.

Following the decision to rebuild the franchise, the Dolphins looked to one of the most successful teams in the NFC. They poached quite a few names from the Green Bay Packers.

Among the additions were head coach Jeff Hafley and starting quarterback Malik Willis.

Hafley has done a solid job to begin his tenure in Miami. Even though the Dolphins are only 1-5 through Week 7 action, the head coach is receiving high praise.

In an appearance on ESPN, NFL reporter and analyst Peter Schrager did not hold back his opinion of Hafley.

“The Dolphins have a coach, and Jeff Hafley is the real deal. In a year where the Dolphins' roster and organization as a whole is undergoing massive construction and turnover, Hafley's team, as young as any in the league, fights, competes, and plays every opponent to the final whistle,” Schrager said.

“They have played disciplined football, they have fought, they have competed, and they give fans who know they're going to rebuild a reason to watch and not hate watch their team every week. They know the playoffs are not realistic, but they know it is worth watching. My takeaway is that the Dolphins have a coach, a real one, and are in good hands. This was Hafley's first win, and if I'm a betting man, it's the first of many in the coming years.”

Before being hired as the head coach in Miami, Hafley served under Matt LaFleur as the Packers' defensive coordinator. Fans in Green Bay loved him. He brought an edge to the defensive side of the football and was excellent during media sessions.

Clearly, he has already started making an impact with the Dolphins.

At the end of the day, no one knows what the future has in store. Miami will need to turn back into a winning franchise for Hafley to truly prove that he can be an elite head coach.

That being said, his approach to the game and the culture he is building for the Dolphins is exactly what the franchise needed. He has been a breath of fresh air from the staleness that surrounded Miami under McDaniel.

Week 7 provided the Dolphins their first win under Hafley. They were able to knock off the AFC East rival New York Jets by a final score of 28-25.

No one expected Miami to be a playoff team this season. The Dolphins aren't going to shock the world and prove those expectations wrong. However, the future is looking a lot brighter with Hafley leading the charge.

Next up for Miami will be a Week 8 matchup at home against the New England Patriots.