Report: Miami Dolphins set to hire former Green Bay Packers DC Joe Barry as LBs coach/coordinator

Following his departure from Green Bay, former Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry has accepted a job with the Miami Dolphins, according to Tom Pelissero. The former Packers assistant will coach linebackers and coordinate the run game. Coaching linebackers has been the former Michigan and USC standout’s specialty since joining the coaching ranks after his playing career.

Prior to taking the job with Miami, Barry also interviewed for positions on the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears staffs.

The Green Bay Packers made an unexpected run to the NFC Divisional Round, but they began making some changes to their coaching staff this week. While the Packers defense wasn’t terrible in the playoffs, Green Bay still decided to part ways with Barry. Barry’s unit held steady for majority of the game against San Francisco, before allowing the 49ers to rattle off a 12-play, 69-yard game-winning drive in the final six minutes of the game.

Barry, 53, has been a defensive coordinator for seven seasons in the NFL, serving previous two-year tenures with the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders before joining the Packers in 2021. Throughout his career, he’s also coached for the 49ers, USC, the Chargers, the Buccaneers and the Rams. He served as Sean McVay’s assistant head coach in Los Angeles from 2017-2020.

In Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), Berry’s defenses have finished 20th or worse each season. This season, the Packers finished 27th. In more traditional stats, Green Bay finished 17th in yards per game (335.1) and 10th in points per game (20.6). 

Packers replace Barry with Jeff Hafley

The Green Bay Packers hired Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator to replace Joe Barry, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported this week. He spent the last four years with the Eagles after coming up the ranks as a defensive backs coach at the collegiate level.

Hafley spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers as a defensive backs coach from 2012-18. He then returned to the college ranks at Ohio State as defensive coordinator and DBs coach in 2019 before taking over at Boston College in 2020.

Hafley amassed a 22-26 record with the Eagles, but is now preparing to return to the NFL. Thamel reported the reason for his decision stemmed from the changing landscape in college football, and the need to focus on other areas such as NIL and roster retention.

“He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football,” a source told Thamel. “College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers. There’s no time to coach football anymore.”

On3’s Nick Shultz contributed to this report.