Following a 7-10 season, the Miami Dolphins decided to rebuild the leadership of their organization. First, they parted ways with general manager Chris Grier, and then the team dismissed head coach Mike McDaniel. After the regular season, the Dolphins quickly began searching for their replacements.
Now, both positions have been filled by the Dolphins. After interviewing names from some of the top organizations in the NFL, the Dolphins went with former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. The team then interviewed 11 different candidates for the head coaching job, before hiring former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to lead the team.
The Dolphins opted to get an outside perspective for these hires, as Miami hired Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman to help them consult on their general manager search. Following the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan, the team decided to have Aikman remain with the organization through the coaching hiring process as well. Now, the reason Miami’s front office decided to go with Hafley has been revealed.
Miami Dolphins’ Reason for Hiring Jeff Hafley
Following Miami’s first round of interviews with potential head coaching candidates, Jeff Hafley quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the job. He was the only candidate the Dolphins interviewed more than once, and despite Hafley having further interviews scheduled with other teams, Miami acted quickly and signed him to a five-year deal.
Following his first interview with the Dolphins, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Hafley “blew everyone away in his initial virtual interview with the Dolphins.” Following his hiring, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared the reason Miami was drawn to Hafley. Breer said, “Hafley’s ability to develop, unify and connect with players was a big draw to the Miami Dolphins, as the team wants to shift to a draft-and-develop model.”
Miami’s Head Coaching Situation
GettyMike McDaniel
The Miami Dolphins head coaching situation was murky following the season. Reports indicated that Mike McDaniel was staying for another season, and those close to McDaniel said he was given assurance by ownership that he was staying. Tight end Darren Waller even said McDaniel told him he wanted him back for the upcoming season; however, moments later McDaniel had his exit meeting with owner Stephen Ross, where he was dismissed. McDaniel was even said to have been consulted regarding the general manager candidates the team was interviewing, some of which had a prior connection to McDaniel from his days in San Francisco. Once the team narrowed down their general manager candidates, none of McDaniel’s past colleagues were in the mix and he was dismissed.
Troy Aikman, who helped the organization, was critical of McDaniel when calling the Dolphins vs. Steelers game on Monday Night Football. During the game, Aikman said, “I’m flabbergasted by what we’ve witnessed here in this fourth quarter with the Dolphins. And now they want to call timeouts. It just is about as ridiculous a fourth quarter as I’ve seen in a long time.” Whether Aikman’s hiring and advice that he might have given to owner Stephen Ross resulted in McDaniel’s firing remains to be seen. Now, the team will hope new head coach Jeff Hafley can provide the previously mentioned qualities that resulted in him getting the job.
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