The Pittsburgh Steelers are casting a wide net to fill their head coaching vacancy that was opened when Mike Tomlin stepped down on Jan. 13 after 19 years.
So far, the Steelers have targeted a certain type of coach with their candidates: a proven leader with a defensive mindset. So far, Nate Scheelhaase, the pass game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, is the lone candidate with an offensive background.
The Steelers have now added another defensive coach to their candidate list. They’ve requested to interview Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Hafley has led the Packers’ defense the past two seasons, producing a Top 10 defense in Year 1. The product declined in 2025, with the Packers ranking 18th or below in certain defensive categories. Green Bay allowed 311.8 total yards per game this season, giving up 194.1 through the air and 117.7 on the ground. Opponents scored an average of 21.2 points per game.
Hafley has also fielded head coaching interest from the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Las Vegas Raiders. He’s completed interviews with the Falcons, Dolphins, and Titans.
Jeff Hafley’s Coaching Resume
GettyGreen Bay Packers’ Jeff Hafley has been the defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
Throughout his coaching career, Hafley, 46, has jumped back and forth between the college and professional levels. He coached 16 seasons in college and spent nine seasons in the NFL with four different teams.
Between 2012 and 2018, he was a defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns for two years apiece. The San Francisco 49ers hired him in 2016 for the same position. He coached the defensive backs for three seasons.
Hafley returned to the collegiate level in 2019. He was named the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Ohio State. He left in 2020 to become the head coach at Boston College. Over four seasons, he amassed a 22-26 record.
During Hafley’s first season in Green Bay, the Packers ranked fifth in total yards allowed, sixth in points allowed, and fourth in takeaways. Those rankings dipped to 12th, 11th, and 26th, respectively, during the 2025 season.
The Montvale, New Jersey native was also a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach at the University of Pittsburgh for five seasons. Hafley was a defensive assistant when legendary cornerback Darelle Revis was a junior in 2006.
Who Are the Pittsburgh Steelers Targeting?
Since Mike Tomlin stepped down, the Steelers have reached out to seven different coaches. Among them are Scheelhaase and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the grandson of legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula.
The Steelers have also requested interviews with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, according to DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Chris Halicke.
The Steelers’ eventual selection will become the 17th head coach in franchise history. They haven’t named a new head coach in 19 years and are searching for their fourth head coach since 1969.
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