The Green Bay Packers are expected to hire Boston College coach Jeff Hafley as the team’s new defensive coordinator, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Hafley, 44, will replace Joe Barry as Matt LaFleur’s leader of the defense in 2024.
Hafley has been the Boston College coach since 2020. His teams were 22-26. Despite his current run in college football, Hafley has seven years of experience coaching defense at the NFL level.
He broke into the NFL in 2012 as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under coach Greg Schiano and defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. He moved up to defensive backs coach in 2013 before moving to coach defensive backs for the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015 under coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil. In 2016, Hafley went to San Francisco to coach defensive backs for O’Neil and the 49ers. He remained in San Francisco for the transition to Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in 2017 and remained in the role through the 2018 season.
In 2019, Hafley was the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for Ohio State.
The connections to Pettine, Shanahan and Saleh are clear. All three either worked with LaFleur or have close ties. Hafley was also in San Francisco with brother Mike LaFleur and Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.
Hafley, a New Jersey native, played wide receiver at Sienna from 1997 to 2000. He entered coaching at the collegiate level in 2001.
Packers Wire will have more on Hafley and the hire at defensive coordinator.