Hafley Reveals Key Updates on Coaching Staff, QB Plans

New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley continued his media tour Friday morning, and he dropped some revealing nuggets about a few of his next steps. 

In an appearance on the Joe Rose Show, Hafley talked through his plans for the coaching staff, his connection to a high-value free agent target, and a review of how he got the Dolphins’ job. 

Here are the key points Hafley made. 

Hafley’s Latest Update on Coaching Staff

While Hafley will call defensive plays, he still needs to hire all three of his primary coordinators, and he’s hoping that process will be done by the end of the weekend. 

“I’ve had a plan for a couple of weeks now for who I wanted to go after, and now it’s just about executing that plan, and I think we’re really close,” Hafley said. “Once I get those guys, we’ll start to fill out the other pieces.” 

We’ve heard about a few of the requests Miami has made already. The Dolphins requested permission from the Dallas Cowboys to interview assistant special teams coordinator Carlos Polk for their coordinator opening. 

We also know the team plans to interview Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson for their OC job on Wednesday. 

Other options for offensive coordinator are likely to include Dolphins passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik and Green Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. 

Speaking of Slowik, Hafley also mentioned during his interview that he’d like to retain some coaches on the Dolphins’ staff. We already know cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo won’t be retained, as he’s reportedly joining the Jaguars staff. 

Hafley’s Thoughts on Willis, Finding a QB 

Once the coaching staff is filled out, Hafley — and the prospective offensive coordinator — will be partially responsible for finding and developing Miami’s next franchise quarterback. 

The “finding” part will fall more on GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, but Hafley will certainly have a say, and looking ahead to this year, it seems like the Dolphins’ QB room will be a mix of in-house and outside options. 

“There will 100% be guys that are here who will compete for that job, and whether that’s going out and finding one, whether that’s in the draft or free agency,” Hafley said. “That’s going to be a huge part of this whole thing. With [GM Jon-Eric Sullivan] and his department and me helping, that’s got to be one of the No. 1 focuses because everything is gonna run through that position.” 

One name that has popped up consistently as a potential outside addition is Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis. The former-Titans third-round pick is set to be a free agent this offseason and impressed in limited action this past season. 

While you might not think Willis and Hafley interacted a ton in Green Bay, that’s not the case. 

“Malik was our scout team quarterback for most of the year, so I got a chance to work closely with him… Just loved the way he prepared. Loved how serious he was,” Hafley said. “He’s the guy that after a great defensive performance, would come up to me and say, ‘Hey, coach, what a great defensive performance.’ 

“He’s a great athlete. He’s smart. He can throw it. He can make off-schedule plays, just a really cool guy to be around for my two years, and I’m thankful for all the help he gave the defense.” 

Willis is the hottest name on the quarterback market this spring because he’s really the only option (right now) with youth, athleticism, and proof of development. That could price Miami out of his market, but the Dolphins figure to be players for him either way.

• Breaking Down New Dolphins GM's Game Plan
• Another Potential Option for McDaniel ... And It's a Doozy
• Evaluating Jeff Hafley's Decision to Call Plays, Offensive Philosophy
• What Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan Revealed About Team's QB Plan