The Miami Dolphins continue to stockpile coaching talent for Jeff Hafley’s new look staff. The latest addition comes from the college football ranks.
The Dolphins announced that former Ohio State and Notre Dame defensive coach Al Washington will be joining Hafley’s staff as the new run game coordinator and defensive line coach. Washington is the ninth coach hired to Hafley’s staff, joining the likes of Nathaniel Hackett, Chris Tabor, and Ladell Betts.
Familiar Ties and a Rapid Rise
From 2019-21, Washington was the linebackers coach for the Buckeyes, as Hafley was the co-defensive coordinator and DBs coach. Washington also played for and coached at Boston College, but before Hafley was the head coach from 2020-2023. This will be first NFL job for Al Washington.
During his time in South Bend under Marcus Freeman, Washington was part of a coaching staff that produced three NFL draft picks along the defensive line: Isaiah Foskey, Rylie Mills, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
Interestingly enough, in 2023, when Hafley was called up to the NFL to be the Packers‘ new defensive coordinator, Washington was one of the many candidates that Boston College interviewed to take over. Instead, they ended up going with current coach Bill O’Brien instead.
Recruiting Pedigree Meets NFL Evaluation
Returning to Notre Dame though, turned out to be a good move for Washington, as his recruiting prowess gained momentum. He helped the Fighting Irish reach the College Football Playoff in 2024 despite several injury woes, and turned defensive lineman Boubacar Traore into a potential NFL draft pick and intriguing prospect. Until he made the decision to return to school, Traore was being considered as a legitimate Day 2 prospect.
Speaking of his recruiting prowess, Washington was able to lure the No. 17 and No. 43 defensive linemen in the Class of 2026 to South Ben in Elijah Golden and Tiki Hola. They will look to be the Irish’s 3-tech and nose guard for the long term future. More impressively, Washington acquired both five star edge rusher Rodney Dunham and top 50 edge talent Ebenezer Ewetade from the state of North Carolina. They were considered the best edge rushing duo in the entire class.
In fact, when the news broke about the hire, Washington was actually out on the recruiting trail, in the state of Ohio trying to secure the signature of 2027 class linebacker Brayton Feister from Akron.
Making the move up to the NFL ranks though, Washington will be tested with greater challenges than recruiting. While the NFL doesn’t quite have a like for like comparison to the college football recruiting trail, being able to analyze talent in the draft to fill key defensive positions could come in handy, as well as building a vision for potential free agents.
Washington may not be the most experienced guy for the job at the NFL level, his skillset in terms of diagnosing talent could turn into a huge plus for the Dolphins going forward. They’re going to need someone to revamp their D-line, and perhaps Washington could be that guy.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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