Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley comes across as a nice guy. When in front of the media, he cracks jokes, smiles a lot, but gets to the point with his answers. When he leaves the podium, there is a switch. A different head coach that only the players get to see. That Hafley is much more determined and down to business.
Over the last four years, that wasn't the case around the Dolphins' training facility. The players policed themselves; no one held them accountable, and rules were clearly meant to be broken because many veterans did.
Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson discussed the differences between the two coaches in his latest publication. The surprising part isn't that they coach differently; it's that the players appreciate his directness more. One unnamed player made it very clear.
“Here was the problem,” said one returning Dolphins player via Barry Jackson. “Mike wanted to be your buddy, and nobody took it seriously when he tried to become more of a disciplinarian and attempted to stop players from showing up late or missing meetings."
Miami Dolphins Jeff Hafley is earning his team's respect despite a much stricter approach
In the NFL, players don't want to be screamed at. They are, after all, grown men. The successful players know that a good head coach is someone who sets a higher standard than the individual player and expects them to reach it.
"You can’t cross the line," Dolphins safety Zayne Anderson said of Hafley.
Anderson played for Hafley for a short time in Green Bay, and his comment stands out. Hafley has been to the point about his convictions. He loathes a lack of discipline that leads to pre- and post-play penalties. He benched Ollie Gordon for tossing a football at a player in preseason week one. He kicked RG Austin Jackson off the field for throwing a punch in a joint practice.
Zach Sieler has been around since Brian Flores. Flores was incredibly strict. Sieler sees similarities in the approach to coaching.
"What I’ve loved from when Flo was here and what Haff preaches now is just that situationally tough, smart football team."
Nowhere in Jackson's article is there high praise for McDaniel. No one went out of their way to dog him, but it's clear they didn't carry the same level of respect that Hafley has earned in only a few months.
Under McDaniel, the impression was that there was no accountability. Some players were held to a different level or standard, and those players were allowed to do what they wanted. In the months since McDaniel was fired, more and more players have pointed it out.
This coach is different, but that doesn't mean the on-field results will be different too. Hafley can preach discipline, culture change, and accountability, but if he can't turn this team into winners over the next two seasons, all three of those will be lost.
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