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Jeff Hafley may be a risk worth taking for Michigan Football

By Kyler Kregel

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Head coach Jeff Hafley of Boston College look son during the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on September 18, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Head coach Jeff Hafley of Boston College look son during the game against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on September 18, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images) /
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With the news breaking that Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh is expected to depart for the Minnesota Vikings, Michigan’s search for a new head coach begins. We take a look at one under the radar candidate worth monitoring during this process, Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley. 

As the Michigan Wolverines begin their search to replace Jim Harbaugh, there will be a lot of articles, tweets, and reports linking the Wolverines to names like Matt Campbell (Iowa State head coach), Bill O’Brien (Alabama’s offensive coordinator), and Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers head coach). One under the radar name that Michigan football should look into, however, is Boston College’s 42-year old head coach Jeff Hafley.

Hafley’s Background

CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 03: Head coach Jeff Hafley of the Boston College Eagles and Jaelen Gill #86 on the sideline during the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Alumni Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 03: Head coach Jeff Hafley of the Boston College Eagles and Jaelen Gill #86 on the sideline during the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Alumni Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Hafley got his start coaching at the Division III level, an assistant at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He quickly climbed up to the FBS ranks, coaching defensive backs for the Pittsburgh Panthers starting in 2006 before joining Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers. That lasted just a year, however, as Schiano went on to the NFL and brought Hafley with him, now a defensive backs coach for the Buccaneers. He stuck around at that level for a bit, coaching with the Cleveland Browns then San Francisco 49ers under Chip Kelly.

Kyle Shanahan kept Hafley around after Kelly’s firing, as Hafley had already begun to establish himself as one of the top young assistants in the NFL by that time. He remained there for two more years before getting his biggest break yet, an offer from another former 49ers assistant, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, an offer to become the Buckeyes defensive coordinator.

The Buckeyes defense had taken a hit in 2018, ranking just 45th in the nation in scoring, allowing an average of 25.5 points per game. Hafley instantly turned that unit around, going from 45th to 3rd overall in scoring defense in 2019, just a measly 13.7 points per game allowed. His turnaround was so swift and impressive that 247Sports even named him Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 2019.

His tenure in Columbus was incredibly short thanks to his success. Boston College came calling, looking for a replacement for Steve Addazio, and Hafley was their man. Two years in, Hafley’s gone to work rebuilding the foundations of the program, but the success has not yet shown up on-field, with just a 12-11 record over those two seasons so far. This past season in particular was a challenge for Hafley’s program, as they got off to a hot start, but lost star quarterback Phil Jurkovec to a hand injury in their second game of the season. With Jurkovec, the Golden Eagles were 4-2 on the season and just 2-4 without him.

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