The Miami Dolphins' organizational overhaul under new head coach Jeff Hafley accelerated this week with a series of strategic coaching hires, signaling a clear direction for the team's future. Hafley, who was appointed earlier this month, is building a staff with a blend of NFL experience and familiar faces from his past, aiming to instill a new culture and competitive edge in Miami.
The most notable addition is the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as the team's quarterbacks coach. Hackett, the former head coach of the Denver Broncos and a longtime offensive coordinator with stints in Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Buffalo, brings a wealth of offensive knowledge to South Florida. His connection to Hafley stems from their time together with the Green Bay Packers, where Hafley served as defensive coordinator. Hackett's primary task will be to develop and mentor the Dolphins' next starting quarterback, a position that is currently the subject of intense speculation and transition.
Further bolstering the staff, the Dolphins have secured Jahmile Addae as their new cornerbacks coach. Addae arrives from the division-rival Buffalo Bills, where he held the same role, and brings additional familiarity with the South Florida landscape from his time as an assistant at the University of Miami. His expertise will be crucial for a secondary looking to regain its elite form. On the offensive line, Zach Yenser has been promoted from assistant offensive line coach to the full-time role, ensuring continuity for a unit that showed improvement in 2025. Yenser's promotion fills the vacancy created by Butch Barry's departure for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Completing the recent flurry of activity, veteran defensive assistant Al Washington is leaving Notre Dame to join Hafley's defensive staff. Washington has extensive experience at both the collegiate and NFL levels, including time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Ohio State. His hiring rounds out a defensive coaching group that Hafley, a defensive specialist, is personally curating.
These moves, combined with the earlier hiring of General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, complete the new leadership triad of Sullivan, Hafley, and Hackett. The focus now shifts entirely to the roster, with the Senior Bowl underway and the NFL Scouting Combine on the horizon. This new coaching staff's first collective challenge will be to evaluate talent and navigate the complex financial decisions that await, starting with the quarterback position.