The Best of SBS: Miami Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley
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How did Jeff Hafley’s childhood love of football shape his coaching ambitions?
Kings Network.
Looking forward to crack open the soul of this man right here, the Dolphins coach, Jeff Halfley. Are you someone who enjoys this process? I know it's part of being the voice and face of a team, but the talking to the media twice a day, we like that or we don't like that so much?
Depends on what time of year it is. You know, right now I do. I'm new. I get to meet new people. And I do think that's very important. I think it's important for me to get out in the community, have people get to know me a little bit, understand me a little bit, and do everything I can to help the organization. But, yeah, I enjoy it. When you get good people, a lot of this can be fun.
How does this work, though, fun at this stage? Because it's pressurized, it's all your dreams come true, and here, here's all the responsibility, and here are all the things you might not have known about what comes with leadership and a job, because that problem isn't one you've faced before.
No, I think it's all on how you look at it, right? I mean, you work... so hard in your life whatever profession that it is and you get to what some people view as the top and a lot of times a place where we dreamed of getting to if you can't enjoy it then i think you have to take a step back and and just think about all the hard work and where you're at and because of that I'm enjoying every day. I wake up, I look forward to going to work every day.
You feel like you're at the top? It feels like you've reached the top of your profession. You're the son of a coach, an inspiration of a father. You feel like you've arrived at your dreams?
I don't know if it's arrived. I feel like when I was a head coach at Boston College at 40 years old, I probably didn't know which way was up and probably wasn't as prepared. But I feel more prepared. Do I feel like... I'm at the top. I'm not sure. Sometimes I walk in and kind of forget I'm the head coach and just go on with all the things that I have to do.
Because of the grind of it? Like every day for a coach is just buzzsaw head for 20 hours and so you forget you're the head coach?
No, I'm not saying that. I think it's just more of who I am and I enjoy what I do. I enjoy being around the people. So it's not like I walk around the building like bossing people around and pretending I'm higher up than everybody. But when I do take a step back and realize all the decisions that I do have to make, because that's probably the biggest thing that you find is when you do become the head coach at whatever level you're at is instead of suggestions, you're now required to give a lot of answers and make a lot of decisions each day. But besides that, no, it's not a grind and it doesn't feel like that. It's going to work, being around good people, doing what I enjoy to do every single day. And for now, without my family here, I go back at night and go to sleep and wake up and do it again.
But I can truthfully say it hasn't felt that way. I've enjoyed it. I look forward every morning going in and we've got a great group.
What did the dreams look like growing up, though? When you're sleeping on air mattresses, when you're sleeping at the stadium in Pittsburgh, your dreams look like what? Like now?
My dreams looked like game day. You don't sit there when you're a younger coach and dream about going into the office on a Tuesday afternoon and spending five hours watching college tape to get ready for the draft. You don't think about sitting in there trying to diagram up certain plays and all the things that you have to do. You think about the moments with your players. You dream about being in the locker room after a win or making a call, a crucial call in a game and seeing it work and celebrating with your team and those memories. And that's what you dream of. All the other stuff is how you get there.
You're not dreaming of the hundred hours it requires to get to the three hours when the decisions are most important.
You're not dreaming of the process, I guess. You're dreaming of what you hope the result will be.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did Jeff Hafley’s childhood love of football shape his coaching ambitions?
0:04–10:02
2
What were the biggest sacrifices Jeff made while climbing the coaching ladder?
10:02–18:21
3
How did Jeff survive living and working at Pitt – from sleeping under a desk to surviving on peanut butter?
18:21–25:58
4
What motivated Jeff to leave college coaching and return to the NFL?
25:58–31:54
5
Why did Jeff choose the Miami Dolphins over other NFL opportunities?
31:54–41:20
6
How does Jeff involve his family in the demanding life of an NFL head coach?
41:20–48:57
7
What is Jeff’s philosophy on conflict and direct communication with staff and players?
48:57–55:34
8
What are Jeff’s priorities for the Dolphins as the 2026‑2027 season approaches?
55:34–1:03:35
Speakers
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