The Miami Dolphins replaced former head coach Mike McDaniel with another first-time NFL coach. This is the 7th time Miami has opted to go the "newbie" route when searching for a replacement. Fans are divided on how this one will work out.
Hafley will come to Miami with at least an HC title on his resume after coaching Boston College. For the Dolphins, however, this is a first for Stephen Ross, and it might signal a change that he is finally ready to embrace.
The entirety of Ross's ownership has been with Chris Grier on the payroll. Grier never knew anything but the Dolphins. Ross has never known anything but failure. When Grier parted ways, Ross needed an outsider.
Troy Aikman may have been the voice that moved the Miami Dolphins in the "right" direction
Troy Aikman sat in all the interviews. He then consulted with Ross and other executives on his thoughts. Somewhere in the early days, his consultation, at least in part, led to Ross firing McDaniel.
It's hard to imagine the Dolphins adding Sullivan on their own. Ross has, sadly, bumbled his way through previous interviews. As much as the two new former Packers will provide a new perspective, so did Aikman's input. It was needed more than any voice currently sitting in the organization.
Jon-Eric Sullivan was hired two days after that firing. Now, less than two weeks later, he has his coach. The benefit for Ross and Miami now is that they know each other, have worked together, and are from the same culture. A culture that Ross desperately needs in South Florida.
The Packers haven't won anything in a while. Sullivan has been a part of those victories; Hafley has not. The Packers are not perfect, but they are consistently competitive. The Dolphins haven't been that since Dave Wannstedt was the head coach.
Miami is getting a fresh start. An outside way of thinking. Miami could have tried to pair Sullivan with someone like Sean McDermott, as many had hoped earlier on Monday when that news broke.
Sullivan, however, had made it clear that you can't build a culture when you are bringing different cultures from the outside. McDermott was not heading south.
Now, Ross is getting what he has needed all along. He is getting someone he doesn't know. No Grier, no Mike Tannenbaum, no Dawn Aponte talking in his ear. Sullivan will reshape the roster, the business model, and at some point, will replace members of the scouting department. Some have already left.
This is a new era for the Dolphins. Will it yield better results? Hard to say, but nothing that Ross has touched in the past worked out well, so this may be his last chance.