Upstate NY Football Standout Getting Huge Opportunity as NFL Coordinator

Jeff Hafley is getting the opportunity of a lifetime in the National Football League.

A native of Montvale, NJ, Hafley spent time in New York's Capital Region as both a player, and a coach, before leaving for other opportunities. He's climbed the coaching ranks over the last two decades, and now, he's being rewarded for his efforts with an incredible new job.

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Jeff Hafley Hired as Defensive Coordinator of NFL's Green Bay Packers

A report from ESPN and other outlets confirmed that Jeff Hafley, head coach of the Boston College football team since 2020, has been hired as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

Hafley joins the staff of long-time friend Matt LaFleur, and replaces the recently-fired Joe Brady under the headset for Green Bay.

Hafley played college football at Siena, spending four years on the team as a wide receiver before graduating in 2001. His graduating class was one of the final classes to play football at Siena, as the program was discontinued on January 21, 2004.

Hafley would remain in the Capital Region after his playing days, earning a master's degree from UAlbany in 2003. While getting his degree, Hafley served as a defensive assistant with the Great Danes under Bob Ford.

He would remain with UAlbany through the 2005 season, serving as the team's defensive backs coach during that time.

After leaving UAlbany, Hafley would begin to ascend the college football ranks, with stops at Pittsburgh and Rutgers from 2006 to 2011. He'd dip his toe into the NFL in 2012, and spend time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers as a defensive backs coach through the 2018 season.

From there, however, it was back to the collegiate ranks, where a job with more responsibility was waiting for him. He spent one season as a coordinator on Ryan Day's staff at Ohio State, before being named the head coach at Boston College in 2020.

Hafley finishes his tenure at BC with a record of 22-26. He led the team to to bowl eligibility in three of his four years at the helm, and finished his career with a win over No. 22 SMU in the Fenway Bowl.

Now, Jeff Hafley is headed to the Packers, and here's what one source told ESPN about why he made this decision:

"He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football. College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers. There's no time to coach football anymore." -ESPN

Best of luck, Jeff Hafley! The Capital Region is rooting for you.