Entering his eighth season coaching in the NFL, Jeff Hafley begins his first year with the Packers in 2024 as the team's defensive coordinator. Named to his position on Jan. 31, 2024, by Head Coach Matt LaFleur, Hafley comes to Green Bay after spending the past four seasons as the head coach at Boston College.
During his time at Boston College, Hafley led the Eagles to bowl eligibility in three of those four seasons, including a 2023 campaign that was capped off with a win over No. 17-ranked SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. Under Hafley's direction, the Eagles combined for 35 All-Atlantic Coast Conference selections and saw four players selected in the NFL Draft, highlighted by the school featuring first-round picks in back-to-back years for the first time since 2011-12 in WR Zay Flowers (No. 22 overall in 2023) and G Zion Johnson (No. 17 overall in 2022).
In 2022, Hafley guided the Eagles to the program's first win over an opponent ranked by The Associated Press since 2014 when they upset No. 16-ranked North Carolina State on the road. Flowers set single-season school records for receiving TDs (12) and tied the single-season school mark for receptions (78) on his way to earning first-team All-ACC honors and third-team AP All-America recognition. He finished his career as BC's all-time leader in receptions (200), receiving yards (3,056) and receiving TDs (29).
In 2021, Hafley led the Eagles to a No. 3 national ranking in passing defense with an average of 173.5 yards allowed per game as they allowed fewer than 300 net passing yards in 11 of 12 games. BC also finished with top-30 rankings in total defense (No. 28, 344.2 ypg), opponent red-zone scoring percentage (No. 30, 76.9), first downs allowed (t-No. 13, 222) and third-down defense (No. 25, 34.5 pct.). The Eagles also led the ACC in fewest penalties (65) and fewest penalty yards (596). A total of 12 Eagles earned All-ACC recognition, led by first-team offensive linemen Alec Lindstrom and Johnson, with Johnson adding All-America honors from seven different outlets.
In Hafley's first season at the helm in 2020, he guided the Eagles to a 6-5 mark, the most wins by a first-year coach in college football that season. Hafley helped BC move up 52 spots in the national rankings in total defense (No. 73 in 2020 after finishing No. 125 in 2019) as the Eagles allowed nearly 62 fewer yards per game than the previous season (416.8 in 2020, 478.7 in 2019). Nine players earned All-ACC recognition, including Flowers as he became the first Eagles WR to earn first-team honors since 2012. TE Hunter Long earned second-team All-America recognition from multiple outlets after ranking No. 1 among collegiate tight ends in receptions (57) and No. 2 in receiving yards (685). Current Packers LB Isaiah McDuffie ranked No. 2 in the ACC and No. 5 in the country with a career-high 107 tackles (54 solo).
Prior to taking over at Boston College, Hafley served as the co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach in 2019 at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff as the defense ranked No. 1 in the nation in yards allowed per play (4.13), total defense (259.7 ypg), passing defense (156.0 ypg) and sacks (54). A finalist for the Broyles Award and the 247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year, Hafley also helped the Buckeyes rank No. 4 in scoring defense (13.7 ppg) and red-zone defense (41.4 pct.) and No. 9 in rushing defense (103.7 ypg). The Buckeyes allowed nearly 144 fewer yards per game (403.4 in 2018, No. 72), more than 1.6 fewer yards per play (5.77 in 2018, No. 73) and nearly 12 fewer points per game (25.5 ppg in 2018, t-No. 51) in 2019 than they did in 2018.
Before arriving at Ohio State, Hafley spent the previous seven seasons in the NFL, the last three (2016-18) with the San Francisco 49ers as defensive backs coach. In 2018, the 49ers ranked No. 11 in the league (233.3 ypg) in passing defense, limiting opposing quarterbacks to 250 passing yards or less in 11 of 16 games. In his first season with the team in 2016, Hafley helped guide the 49ers to a No. 14 ranking in passing defense (240.5 ypg.), a 13-spot improvement from their No. 27 league ranking in 2015. CB Tramaine Brock (team-high 14) and S Jimmie Ward (No. 2 on the team with 12) both registered career highs in passes defensed with Brock adding a career-high 59 tackles (49 solo) and a career-best five tackles for a loss.
Hafley spent the 2014-15 seasons as the secondary coach for the Cleveland Browns, helping the team to No. 1 league rankings in 2014 in opponent passer rating (74.1) and opponent completion percentage (57.1) while finishing No. 2 in the NFL in interceptions with 21, the team's highest total since 2008. CB Joe Haden, S Donte Whitner and S Tashaun Gipson all earned Pro Bowl honors in '14, marking the first time in franchise history that three defensive backs were selected to the Pro Bowl in the same year. Despite missing the final five games of the season, Gibson ranked No. 2 in the NFL with six INTs. The Browns ranked No. 9 in the NFL in scoring defense (21.1 ppg.), allowing 69 fewer points than they had in 2013.
Hafley's first NFL coaching experience came with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he served as the assistant defensive backs coach in 2012 and secondary/safeties coach in 2013. During his two seasons with Tampa Bay, the team ranked No. 4 in the league over that span in interceptions (39) and No. 3 in INT return yards (757). In 2013, the Buccaneers were tied for No. 3 in the NFL in takeaways (31) and interceptions (21). S Ronde Barber led the team with four INTs in 2012 and ranked No. 2 in the NFL with 160 yards on INT returns that season, while rookie S Mark Barron finished No. 2 among NFL rookie defensive backs in tackles and passes defensed.
Hafley spent the 2011 season at Rutgers, where he coached the secondary and helped the Scarlet Knights rank No. 9 in the country in passing defense (171.8 ypg) and No. 8 in scoring defense (18.3 ppg). CB Duron Harmon led the team with five INTs on his way to earning first-team All-Big East honors and S Logan Ryan received second-team accolades, with both players going on to be selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Hafley coached at the University of Pittsburgh for five seasons (2006-10), serving as the secondary coach for the final three seasons. During his time as defensive assistant/cornerbacks coach (2006-07), he helped mentor CB Darrelle Revis, who was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2006 and went on to be selected in the first round (No. 14 overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft by the N.Y. Jets. Hafley also coached CB Aaron Berry (2008) and S Dom DeCicco (2009) to second-team All-Big East honors, with both players going on to play in the NFL.
Prior to his time at Pittsburgh, Hafley spent four seasons at Albany, coaching the defensive backs in 2004-05 and the defensive tackles in 2002-03. He helped tutor Kurt Campbell, who became the first player in school history to be drafted when he was selected by Green Bay in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Hafley's first coaching job came at Worcester Polytechnic, where he coached running backs in 2001.
Hafley was a four-year letterman (1997-2000) at wide receiver at Siena College. He was born April 4, 1979, in Montvale, N.J. Hafley and his wife, Gina, have two daughters, Hope and Leah.
