New Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley indicates he was growing tired of being a 'general manager' of college program

Jeff Hafley had a dilemma on his hands. And Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur helped him solve it.

LaFleur hired him as the Packers' defensive coordinator to replace Joe Barry.

Hafley has been the head coach at Boston College the last four years after being a coordinator and defensive coach for NFL and college football teams his whole career. But with the rise of Name, Image and Likeness, also known as NIL, for players, as well as the never-ending transfer portal and dealing with boosters, it sounded like Hafley was growing tired of the off-the-field factors that have become part of leading a college program in 2024.

In an interview before being hired by the Packers with CBS Sports Network college football analyst Adam Breneman, host of the Next Up With Adam podcast, Hafley from his Boston College offices said he missed being an actual coach on the field.

"Now that I’m the 'general manger' and you’re trying to manage 'the cap' and you don’t really know what the cap is and now you’re fundraising," Hafley said. "I mean I want to coach football. I want to coach more defense than I did last year and now it’s just prioritizing again. I got to coach again. I miss coaching DBs, but how am I going to do that and that’s what I need to figure out."

Not long after he made that statement, he figured out his answer by leaving BC to lead the Packers defense.

Before being hired by Boston College after the 2019 season, Hafley spent 18 years in college and the NFL, coaching defense with a primary focus on defensive backs.

He's had stops in the college game at Albany, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Ohio State. And in the NFL, he's coached defensive backs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.

Hafley has been a defensive coordinator just one previous season. That came in 2019 at Ohio State, a special year for the team's defense. The Buckeyes had the second-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 12.5 points per game and had a top-10 rush and pass defense. They also qualified for the College Football Playoff.

What is Jeff Hafley's defensive scheme?

Hafley said in his interview with Breneman that his focus is on closing the middle of the field with the presence of a safety and four-down linemen.

"I started to adapt," he said about his coverages throughout his career.

Hafley said he understands the key to success is slowing down a quarterback who wants to get out of the pocket. The Packers have been exposed in this area when facing a mobile quarterback over the years. It was evident this past season at times, including when they were gashed by New York Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito.

"You just gotta stop the quarterback run game," Hafley said. "It’s almost a different game (in comparing the college game to the pros). Cause the quarterback in the NFL, they’re going to run it in big moments or in the red zone or on third down or in a championship game. So you gotta change."

He also said that, while you can get away with being "unbalanced" in the college game, that doesn't work in the NFL.

"The ball is in the middle of the field the whole game," Hafley said. "It’s a different game. It’s been fun to follow it."

He won't have to follow it from afar anymore now.