JANUARY 18: Jackson adds in a follow-up report that it’s an actual possibility Miami doesn’t allow Hafley to go away the constructing with out a contract in hand following his Monday inteview. An agent for other candidates tells Jackson that Hafley is the team’s top selection.
Along with Graham and Hafley, the ‘Fins may have an in-person meeting with Kelvin Sheppard on Monday. The Graham and Sheppard summmits would satisfy the Rooney Rule and thereby make the Dolphins eligible to rent Hafley.
JANUARY 17, 10:05pm: A representative for considered one of the opposite candidates connected to the Dolphins’ emptiness told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald he believes the job is Hafley’s to lose at this point. With no less than lots of the seven remaining HC vacancies prone to be filled in the approaching days, this case will likely be price watching closely.
2:08pm: Coming quick off the heels of reports that he’s being brought in for the second round of the Dolphins‘ interview process, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has “emerged as a frontrunner” for the pinnacle coaching job in Miami. No decisions have been made on either side, but Hafley seems to have the early favor of the Dolphins’ search committee.
Miami and Hafley are still moving forward with their interview processes, as usual, though. This isn’t John Harbaugh cancelling meetings after one in-person interview with the Giants just yet.
The Dolphins have first-round interviews still on the schedule for this weekend and are within the strategy of establishing more second-round interviews beyond Hafley. It seems, as they’re wrapping up the primary round of interviews with Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Sunday and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on Monday, Hafley will likely be kicking off the primary of multiple in-person, second interviews. Dianna Russini of The Athletic has noted that they’re attempting to get former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski in for his in-person on Wednesday.
We also aren’t aware if the sentiments are mutual for Hafley, though; Miami isn’t the one team to have moved him on to the following stage of the interview process, and in accordance with NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Hafley is expected to be a finalist all over the place he’s interviewed. Pelissero notes that the Titans, Falcons, Raiders, and Cardinals have also requested second interviews for Hafley, and he’s within the strategy of completing one other initial interview today with the Steelers.
In reality, Hafley is scheduled to come back to Miami on Monday, and he already has his visit to Tennessee scheduled for the Tuesday, in accordance with Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. The Dolphins are actually attempting to get out ahead of what appears to be loads of interest in Hafley by scheduling him early and pronouncing their interest very publicly. We’ll see if that tactic earns them any points with Hafley or if it activates the pressure in his pursuit.
For the opposite candidates set to interview with Miami, it’s actually discouraging, assuming Hafley prefers the Dolphins. It’s hard enough to beat Hafley’s Green Bay ties to Miami’s latest general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan but adding in his proclamation from the media as an early frontrunner makes it mandatory to hope Hafley prefers to be elsewhere. In reality, strangely, the rumor of Hafley being the frontrunner first was leaked by Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, whose source was an agent of considered one of the several other candidates for the job. After seeing the rumor confirmed by Pelissero this afternoon, seekers of the Miami job will likely be hoping the Dolphins don’t get their guy.
The one certainty anywhere comes out of Green Bay where Mike Garafolo reports the Packers have begun researching defensive coordinator candidates. While it’s still extremely up within the air where Hafley lands, it’s quite certain that he won’t be coming back to Green Bay. As Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post points out, Broncos defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach Jim Leonhard once turned down the Packers’ defensive coordinator position under Matt LaFleur considering he’d be at Wisconsin long-term. Having since moved on from the Badgers, one would think Leonhard’s name would come up in Green Bay relatively soon.