MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Long before Jeff Hafley became the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins, he was a football coach in the making during his college days at Siena College. The Dolphins officially introduced Hafley on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in a career that began in the most unassuming of settings.
Humble Beginnings at Siena College
Hafley played his college football at Siena, a program that competed before small crowds at a decaying minor-league baseball field in an Albany, New York suburb. Despite dealing with multiple injuries during his playing years, Hafley's passion for the game never waned. He eagerly assisted coaches with film breakdown and even joined them in the booth on game days, unknowingly discovering his true calling.
Those Siena teams struggled on the field, and the program eventually folded in 2003 due to financial constraints. The field where they played has long since been demolished. Yet, the lessons Hafley absorbed during those formative years have remained with him throughout his professional journey.
Foundational Lessons in Accountability and Toughness
"I learned what it’s like to hold people to an extreme level of accountability," Hafley reflected on Thursday. "I learned what toughness is about and I learned how to grind." These early experiences at Siena laid the groundwork for a coaching philosophy built on hard work and resilience.
Hafley's playing career at Siena was modest—a lightly recruited quarterback from New Jersey who converted to wide receiver and caught just one pass in his senior year. However, the statistics meant little compared to the invaluable experiences he gained.
The Grind Continues in Miami
Hafley now faces a new challenge with the Dolphins, a franchise coming off two consecutive losing seasons. The team finished 7-10 this past year under former coach Mike McDaniel and faces uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into 2026. Miami hasn't won a playoff game since Hafley was still a student at Siena over a quarter-century ago.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross expressed confidence in Hafley's appointment, stating, "After interviewing, talking to people who were all really great candidates, I think the enthusiasm, the knowledge, the background, Jeff stood out amongst them all. So, we were really fortunate that he was available."
Mentorship and Early Coaching Roles
Hafley's first college coach, Ed Zaloom, became a lifelong mentor. When Zaloom moved to Division III's Worcester Polytechnic Institute, he offered Hafley a $2,500-a-year job. Hafley embraced every task—lining the field, doing laundry, cleaning helmets—with unwavering dedication.
"What I learned was there’s no job too small," Hafley emphasized. "And that’s what you’re going to get from me every single day, because I learned how to work hard—like, really hard—and there’s no replacement for that. And there won’t be here."
Zaloom later helped Hafley secure a position at the University at Albany under coaching legend Bob Ford. Albany's respected program and Ford's emphasis on treating people well further shaped Hafley's approach. "It laid down my foundation," Hafley said of those years. "It taught me how to work hard, it taught me how to treat people, and it taught me how to coach the game of football, the fundamentals, the technique. And it taught me there were no shortcuts."
Sleeping Under Desks and Climbing the Ranks
After about four years at Albany, Hafley took a barely-paying job at Pitt, where he slept on an air mattress under his desk for two years. "Turns out, it's easy to be the first guy into the office for work every day when you're actually living in the office," he quipped.
His perseverance paid off with promotions at Pitt, followed by college stints at Rutgers and Ohio State, a four-year head coaching role at Boston College, and NFL assistant positions with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and San Francisco. Most recently, Hafley served as Green Bay's defensive coordinator for two years before joining the Dolphins.
Staying True to Roots
Though the days of financial struggle are behind him, Hafley insists he remains the same person who once lined fields and slept under desks. When asked what he would say to his younger self, Hafley mused, "I'd say it worked."
As he embarks on this new chapter with the Miami Dolphins, Hafley's journey from Siena to the NFL stands as a testament to the power of grit, mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to the grind.
