The Green Bay Packers have hired Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to be their next defensive coordinator.
ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news Wednesday before the Pack made it official later in the evening.
Hafley will replace Joe Barry, who was removed as the team's defensive coordinator after three seasons.
The 44-year-old had been Boston College's head coach since 2020, guiding the team to a 22-26 record.
BC was bowl-eligible in three of his four seasons, including 2023, when the Eagles went 7-6 and won the Fenway Bowl over SMU.
As for why Hafley made the move, Thamel reported the following via a source.
"He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football," the source told Thamel. "College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers. There's no time to coach football anymore.
"A lot of things that he went back to college for have disappeared."
Hafley served as an assistant for various college programs from 2001 to 2011 before landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as assistant defensive backs coach in 2012. He was promoted to defensive backs coach in 2013 but then left to take the same role with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015.
Hafley served as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive backs coach from 2016 to 2018 before heading back to college as Ohio State's DB coach/co-defensive coordinator in 2019.
His defensive unit was certainly impressive that year:
Eli Berkovits @BookOfEli_NFLJeff Hafley was co-DC at Ohio State for one season...<br><br>Here's how they did:<br><br>Scoring - 4th (13.7 ppg)<br>Total defense - 1st (260 ypg)<br>Pass defense - 1st (156 ypg)<br>Rush defense - 8th (104 ypg) <a href="">
BC's best defensive year under Hafley was in 2021, when the Eagles allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game.
Brennen Rupp @Brennen_RuppJeff Hafley it is and I have to say, I like the hire.<br><br>Elijah Jones just became a Day 3 target for Brian Gutekunst.<a href=""> <a href="">
During Hafley's four seasons, Boston College ranked 68th (out of 128), 31st (out of 130), 100th (out of 131) and 86th (out of 133) in Division I FBS in fewest points allowed per game.
As for what Hafley could bring to the table, press coverage and Cover 1 defense could be on the table.
Chris Haddad @chrisvIQtoryCoach Jeff Hafley (BC) Press Coverage DB Thread<br><br>Why press coverage - eliminates route tree, forces WRs to declare now<br><br>Inside release - slant, dig, post (wide split)<br><br>Outside release - go,comeback (wide split) <a href="">
Daire Carragher @DaireCarragherJeff Hafley's Boston College played Cover-1 defense on 43.1% of plays last season, per PFF. <br><br>That's… a lot. <br>It was the 5th most in the entire FBS. <br><br>You'd figure the Packers will want to find a legit free safety now.
Hafley joins a young Packers team with an arrow pointing way up after a fantastic season that ended with a close 24-21 loss to the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Led by quarterback Jordan Love, Green Bay has offensive talent in place to shine in the future, and the defense has studs such as Rashan Gary and Quay Walker as well.
Now Hafley leads that defensive unit as the Packers, who have made the playoffs four times in five years under head coach Matt LaFleur, look to finally reach the Super Bowl for the first time in his era.
