Dolphins fans' reaction to Jeff Hafley hiring proves his work is cut out for him

The Miami Dolphins officially announced Jeff Hafley as the team's next head coach on Monday night. There was speculation that the Dolphins could go after Sean McDermott following his surprising firing from the Buffalo Bills, but Miami had its sights on Hafley and never relinquished its pursuit.

Fan reactions to Hafley's hiring are understandably mixed. Many within the fan base had been clamoring for someone with prior head coaching experience. And while Hafley was an HC in the college ranks, that's not enough based on some of the reactions.

The former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator now becomes the eighth consecutive first-time head coach hired by the Dolphins organization. But while some fans are upset about it, Hafley's hire shouldn't be viewed in the same stratosphere as those before him.

Miami Dolphins fans should give Jeff Hafley a chance before criticizing him

Outside of those within the hiring process, Hafley was not the people's first choice. He wasn't their second option, either, and didn't even make the top five for some.

The primary reasoning is that Hafley doesn't yet have head coaching experience at the NFL level, and because the Dolphins haven't hired anyone with that level of experience since Dave Wannstedt in the early 2000s, fans understandably wanted this to be a decisive factor. However, Hafley was a head coach at the collegiate level at Boston College, and this should not go unnoticed.

It didn't go unnoticed by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and the hiring team, including Hall of Fame quarterback and current commentator, Troy Aikman. Among other things, the Dolphins zeroed in on Hafley and made sure he didn't leave town without a deal. Then, on Monday night during the National Championship Game between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers, the Dolphins made Hafley's hiring official.

As expected, fans' comments were less than flattering.

In response to the comment on Hafley's record at Boston College, I'd actually argue that's a positive in the former Packers DC's favor. Boston College is nowhere near a top collegiate football program, and in the age of NIL, it's actually impressive that Hafley was nearly .500 in his four years with the Eagles and had them bowl eligible on multiple occasions.

As for the comment, "Call me in 2 years when you're looking for a new coach," Hafley signed a five-year deal with Miami, and Ross has proven that he is hesitant to fire his personnel and has given each of Miami's head coaches, not named Cam Cameron, at least three seasons throughout his tenure. Based on resumes alone, I'd argue Hafley is better than at least half of them before he even starts roaming the South Florida sidelines.

Many fans have become skeptical as to why Mike McDaniel was fired at all if guys like Hafley were the best option. Personally, this is a short-sighted mentality.

The Dolphins need a rebuild, and McDaniel didn't believe that was the case. In fact, knowing he was already on the hot seat, McDaniel would've continued to hammer for short-term moves that likely would've hurt the Dolphins financially over the long haul in hopes of saving his job. He was part of the reason this wasn't the most glamorous job to begin with.

In reality, McDaniel probably should've been shown the door at the same time Chris Grier was. Ross liked McDaniel, though, and odds are he planned to keep him. Those interviewing for the GM job, however, may have hinted or flat-out said they would have preferred not to work with McDaniel, leading Ross to make a change.

Ironically, it's Packers fans who seem the most excited for Dolphins fans.

At the end of the day, Hafley may be another first-time hire by Miami, but it's not the same. The Dolphins finally did things the right way by letting go of the GM and the head coach, rather than half measures. They also brought in Aikman as part of the process, and Hafley won them all over.

The former Packers coordinator wasn't my first or second option, either, plus I wanted Miami to reach out to McDermott. Yet, I don't hate the hire. It remains to be seen who Hafley will bring on as part of his staff, as that will be just as important. So while it's not the sexy pick the Dolphins' fan base was hammering for, he deserves the opportunity to win us all over.