Jeff Hafley: the perfect fit that never really fit

 

The Jeff Hafley era is over. It ended like most of his tenure -- in an unpredictable manner. He is leaving BC to take a Defensive Coordinator role with the Green Bay Packers. Four years ago that would have been a step back. (Jags left a Green Bay coordinator role to take the head job at BC.) Now with exploding salaries in both levels and the job descriptions changing daily, it might not be. Hafley plugs into a role and team that will likely lead him to an NFL head job within four years. That wasn't going to happen at BC. He puts himself and his family in a better position. I don't begrudge him at all. Plus whatever he had hoped to build and whatever we thought we would see at BC never came together. World, industry and departmental changes probably made every day seem Sisyphean.

Since Hafley took the job, he is on his third Athletic Director. He spent a whole year recruiting and coaching in COVID. Then the NIL hit and then the portal hit. Plus the ACC expanded and is in the middle of a lawsuit against one of its flagship programs. None of those sweeping changes lend themselves to building or shaping a program in your own vision. Instead it is just putting out one fire after the next.

Hafley's challenges were not all external. His staffs have been mediocre to poor. His coordinators have been bad. His reputation as a great talent evaluator never really showed itself with his BC rosters. His gameday coaching and decision making was uneven. He eliminated the culture of fear and built relationship with players, but never really won their respect. (I had a guy who played under Addazio recently tell me he barely even knew Addazio but he was at BC to compete and didn't worry about the relationships. The idea of Hafley being everyone's friend seemed unnecessary to this same player.)

In the end Hafley did BC a favor by leaving. If his heart wasn't in it, then a lame duck season would have been painful for everyone. He saved BC money by not having to fire him and now someone who knows what this job entails can take on the challenge. Good luck and thanks (I guess). I still like Hafley, but do think this is best for everyone. 

Year 3 is usually telling

While I don't believe Jeff Hafley is on any sort of hot seat, I do think this year will tell us if he is going to be great or just good. Year 3 tends to set the tone at BC. 

I like Jeff Hafley and still think he will be special. His first season he managed COVID, the roster and his schedule well. Last year was more disappointing. He mismanaged the QB situation which led to the team underachieving. This year, if he is special, there should be no excuses. This is his roster. He has tweaked his staff. The schedule is manageable. By Year 3 most great coaches are on their way because they've worked out the kinks, have things lined up and have their players in place. Look at the third year of past BC coaches since WWII:

BC Coaches in their Third Year  

Myer -- 1946. Record: 6-3 (Myer's tenure was interupted by WWII.) 

Holovak -- 1953. Record: 5-3-1 

Miller -- 1965. Record: 6-3 

Yukica -- 1970. Record: 8-2 

Chlebek -- 1980. Record: 7-4 

Bicknell -- 1983. Record: 9-3 

Coughlin -- 1993. Record: 9-3 

Henning -- 1996. Record: 5-7 

O'Brien -- 1999. Record: 8-4

Spaziani -- 2011. Record: 4-8

Addazio -- 2015. Record: 3-9

It is not infallible, but does follow a pattern. Let's hope this year is great and carries us for the next decade!

Daz could never be Dabo, can Hafley be a BC version of the Clemson coach?

Every year when we play Clemson, I flagellate myself for being so wrong about Dabo, who is now arguably the best coach in College Football. There is no denying what he has done at Clemson. 

For a long time I advocated that Steve Addazio had the perfect personality and strengths to emulate Dabo at BC. We all know he never could. Although Addazio shared Swinney's emotion, big personality and love of recruiting, he never learned to empower his staff like Dabo, nor ever even came close to learning to manage a game like the Clemson coach. Now we have a new coach who shares some of Dabo's strengths. But I think Jeff Hafley can be more than Swinney...an improved, BC-version of Dabo.

The most obvious commonality I see between Swinney and Hafley is how they talk and relate to players. They both seem to relate to the kids and understand how to motivate through positivity and confidence. This persona and communication skills seem to be having a Dabo-like impact on BC recruiting. Players are excited to play for Hafley and that will hopefully translate to a talent upgrade. It is early and we are not privileged to all that is going on, but Hafley also seems to be giving his coordinators a lot of autonomy. Maybe not as much as Swinney gives his staff, but certainly more than we've seen from recent BC coaches. If Hafley can follow Swinney's model of finding the best players and coaches and then getting out of their way, he will have success.  

Swinney isn't just motivation and talent evaluation. He's also been aggressive as a game manager. Though it is early, I think Hafley has shown Dabo-like qualities when it comes to game management. We are aggressive and have played to win throughout. Hafley has also had his team managed and prepared for close, tight games. 

Where I think Hafley can be more than Dabo is in how he carries himself. Dabo's personality and background work at Clemson. I don't think it would work everywhere. Even if he won in Boston, I think the media and portions of our Alumni would never take him seriously. Hafley doesn't have that problem. Aside from the northeast roots, he also is more earnest and serious than Swinney. That professionalism and seriousness, combined with winning and emotion, will win over even the most cynical BC fan or Boston media member. 

I will preface this by saying that although Hafley might have more upside than Swinney, I don't think that means BC is going to win multiple National Championships. The schools are in two very different situations and have two different coaches. Hafley's NFL experience  means that any success will spark NFL interest. Dabo's aw shucks shtick had most of the NFL dismissing him until recently. Clemson can keep Dabo happy financially to the point where the only jobs people even speculate about for him are the NFL and Alabama. If Hafley becomes a hot name, there will be plenty of College Football factories that come calling. I don't think he will take the first job offered to him, but I also realize that if the right one comes along, it will be tough to turn down.

The unknown in all of this is how Hafley will manage himself. Dabo is one of the rare people in any profession, who stepped back after failure, recognized the mistakes he was making and then had the ability to fix those problems. Most people let their egos get in the way. Hafley seems to have the right sort of personality to self-assess. He has owned up to his mistakes and shown that he can fix them game-to-game. If he can implement those same program-wise fixes, we are going to enjoy our own version of Dabo. 

Ugly and beautiful and still undefeated

I will watch the game back and try to get a better feel for all the issues, but the big takeaways from the win over Texas State was that BC played poorly and still won, and BC managed the final few minutes (which included two scores and a stop) better than they've handled any close game in a decade. I know Hafley spent a lot of time on situational football, and clock and sideline management this summer. It paid off tonight.

There were plenty of issues. Texas State made our D look slow and sloppy. Jurk was inconsistent and made some rough throws. The Offensive Line is not where it should be. But who cares right now? Those things can be fixed and are much easier to fix after a win!

 

A 7-play, 49-yard Jurkovec-led drive with under a minute to go results in a game-winning 36-yard FG from Aaron Boumerhi.

The former Temple transfer (who missed Wk 1 with an injury) drilled it right down the middle.

A huge kick from Boumerhi. pic.twitter.com/ExNNLLtPcY

— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) September 27, 2020

BC-Duke preview

I am still trying to figure out if the unusual circumstances to the start of the Jeff Hafley era is a good thing or bad thing. He lost the chance to have a normal transition and season preparation and the guy who hired him left before Hafley coached his first game. However, because of COVID and this season's unique schedule and playing environment, I think expectations and pressure are minimal. BC could finish with one or two wins and I think most of us would be forgiving. Fortunately I don't think it will get that messy. I see Hafley as someone who will adapt quickly, manage the season well and bring some fun back to BC.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I am selfishly a little disappointed to see the Big Ten and Pac 12 scramble to get back to playing. While I am happy for their players and fans, part of me already started thinking that with a limited number of Power 5 teams playing, BC might actually get into a real bowl. Now we will be back to playing in whatever bowl will have us. 

Three Simple Keys

1. BC needs to run a lot and with the QB. Cignetti will have his own style and brings a better passing system than anything Addazio tried to run. But let's not rush into it this week. Duke showed issues with run stopping last week. BC needs to keep it on the ground and pound away. Assuming Jurkovic starts, I also want to see him in the running game. Based on what we've seen of his limited prior action, his legs should be an advantage.
2. Get Brice out of the pocket. Against the Irish, Brice did not look good when he was flushed. He made some bad decisions and took a few sacks. He is not someone who is going to beat us with his legs. 
3. Manage the game well. This is Jeff Hafley's first game as a head coach. I don't expect everything to be perfect Day 1, but I hope there are no glaring issues with clocks or timeouts. 

Gambling Notes
-- BC leads the series 4-3
-- Duke won the last two games in the series
-- Our last three coaches have all won their BC debuts
The current line is BC+6.5

Factoid
This is the latest that BC has played its opener since 1981.

Scoreboard Watching
There are no divisions this year, so we have to pay attention to the entire ACC. Pitt-Syracuse is a matchup of future opponents. It might tell us something about both teams.

I hope to see...
Jurkovic starting and playing well. BC is being somewhat coy about the QB situation. I appreciate Dennis Grosel and all he did last year. But if we are going to be something special this year, I think we need a dynamic QB.

BC is in trouble if...
We don't get any pressure from the front four. Our linebackers are very good (potentially great). Our DBs are young, but given Hafley's background, I think he can coach them up. The big question is the Defensive Line. They need to be much better than they were last year.

Overall
I think we are entering a special window for BC sports. I think Hafley will be great and it all starts Saturday. This won't be a perfect game. There will be plenty of rust. But I think we pull away in the second half.
Final Score: BC 28, Duke 17

Hafley wins...so does LSU

It would have been nice for BC and the ACC if Clemson had won the National Championship but LSU pulled away in a long and disappointing game. For BC fans the real story of the game was Jeff Hafley's work in ESPN's Coaches' Film Room. Our new coach shined.

Despite being the junior guy in the room, Hafley showed no fear and talked shop throughout. He was very knowledgeable without being geeky or coming off like a know it all. He slipped in a little humor and understood when to defer to his peers. For a new guy and someone who hasn't done much TV, he was a natural.

As much as I would like to say these skills translate into winning football, remember that his predecessor was good in the Film Room too. But Hafley was very different from Addazio. Where Addazio came off as booming and liked to talk about the trenches, Hafley showed a little more depth and a lot more nuance. He will be a welcome change.

Congrats to the Coach. Hopefully he will be in this game one day and other coaches will be talking about him.

What to watch for in the Ohio State game

As most know, I am a huge Ryan Day fan. Now with my new interest in Jeff Hafley, I am all aboard the Ohio State bandwagon. Their playoff game against Clemson is a great opportunity for BC. Here are a few things to follow during the game.

1. BC mentions. The cameras ignored Hafley during the Big Ten championship game. They won't this time. Even if BC is not Alabama, hiring a coordinator in this game is a storyline. It will get some attention,,, especially if the Ohio State D looks either dominant or struggles.

2. Hafley's adjustments. I was impressed during the Big Ten Championship game. Ohio State got burned early by being too aggressive. In the second half, Hafley came out with a new look and dropped lots of guys into coverage and changed the game. It gave me hope he will be a good game manager.

3. Hafley getting his first look at Clemson. Dabo's guys are on such a roll they can make Saban look bad. They may destroy Ohio State. But we should view this as learning opportunity. Hafley is going to face them every year. This game is not just a playoff. It is his chance to start prepping for BC-Clemson.

What to make of Early Signing Day

The looming aspect of the coaching search was always the Early Signing Day. This was always going to be a smallish recruiting class (mid teens) but Addazio filled the class with good quality. It was important to hold it together. But like all transition classes, there were a few hiccups. One player, Jah Joyner decommited and signed with Minnesota. Two others OL prospects -- Addison Penn from Texas and Dwayne Allick from Maryland -- are both waiting until Jeff Hafley completes his staff to commit.

As of now there are ten guys signed (nine official with OL prospect Kevin Pyne not counting but he is enrolling in January). Considering it is such a small class, there is no one position of focus nor a major geographical trend. It is just a little bit of everything that should add some depth. The best player and best story is Ozzy Trapilo. Like his father, he was a star at BC High and hopes to be a star at BC.

I am not worried about the small size of this class (nor the potential of guys transferring out of the program). Jeff Hafley is about to get an enormous amount of national publicity. That should help with any kid still looking for a shot and it will help as a sales pitch to players looking to transfer.

Breaking down the Hafley press conference: the Earnest Eagle

I don't remember Tom O'Brien's introductory press conference (or if there even was one). But every football coach since has been introduced in a similar manner and usually the introduction foreshadows the era ahead. (Jags: a little crazy and loose, but fun. Spaz: uncomfortable with an uneasy feeling in the room. Addazio: lots of passion with a little bluster and a scattershot direction.) If Hafley's introduction is as telling, then we are in for a special time. I can't remember a coach who came off as earnest.

Hafley hit all the usual notes but did so in a measured, controlled way. He didn't over promise. He didn't come off as ill prepared. He was certainly selling, but not in that over the top way. He is very calculating but not in a cold way. He wasn't afraid to show emotion yet didn't wear it on his sleeve. Over and over he mentioned people and prior relationships. We don't know specifics of his  Xs & Os but all the other aspects of leading the program (organization, communication, recruiting, development) seem perfectly aligned. This is going to be different then the last decade.

Hafley didn't tip his hand with regards to staffing. He plans to take his time. The early Signing Period helps that because he can lock in most of his open scholarships this week and doesn't need as many assistants out on the road immediately. He gave no indication of what type of offense or defense he will run. He was asked specifically about Anthony Brown and avoided any trap or commitment other than he will talk to Brown.

Our last three coaches have used the press conference to say that BC was their dream. Hafley didn't. He just said this was one of those jobs that seemed special. He also referenced about how until coming back to college, he had planned on being an NFL head coach. Based on today, I think that he will be. But his first step is making a name for himself at BC.

BC's asking for money and they are right

I think it is fair to say Addazio was unpopular with most BC fans. The hardcore have been frustrated for a few years and the casual have been showing their lack of enthusiasm by not coming to Alumni. As I have said, Jeff Hafley represents many things, but best of all is hope. Hope that things will be fun again. Martin Jarmond heard the fans. He made the change and he identified a prime candidate and closed on him. I think most of us are happy about this. Now we have to show our part.

If you follow social media you might have seen a few pleas for people to buy tickets or reminders to give. This is pretty transparent but also appropriate. If you like what happened vote with your dollars. Here are three very specific ways to show your approval.

1. Give BC money. Direct your donation to the Flynn Fund to show your approval of what happened. Or if you give to the BC Fund (that's my usual direction) perhaps allocate a portion to the Flynn Fund. My rationale for giving to the BC Fund over the Flynn Fund is I usually defer to BC as to where they feel the money is most impactful. The reason I might do things differently this year is because I want to show my support of this action.

2. Buy tickets for next year. We won't know what sort of brand of football Jeff Hafley brings to BC yet, but there is no reason to stay away next year. Even if it is a bumpy transition, the players and new coaches deserve our support.

3. Buy BC merchandise. While not as directly lucrative as tickets or straight giving, buying BC merchandise is a show of support...especially if you buy it from BC. It is Christmas time anyway. This can be a good gift and help the school!

A new face and a new start

Martin Jarmond tweeted white smoke and Thamel is siting sources, but Jeff Hafley is the new Boston College Football head coach. Official announcement will come Saturday morning. There is a lot to digest with Hafley and the hiring process, but that can wait. My gut reaction: this is a great hire and a great fit. 

Hafley shares a profile with the guys who have had the most success at BC in the last 30 years. He's a coordinator in his 40s. He's hungry and looking for his first shot as a head coach. He either had prior experience at BC or at places that were similar enough to know how to leverage what BC is and can be.

Beyond the profile fit, the best thing about hiring a first time head coach is that he is 0-0 and has little baggage. We can project a bright future on him and will be patient as he learns. 

For 11 years it has felt like BC Football had a clear ceiling. For now that ceiling is gone. That's exciting.

All good things to those who wait

BC fans are getting antsy because we haven't named a new coach. Our last football search took nine days and gave us seven years of .500 ball. Do we want that again? The truth is there was never any need to rush. This was a relatively slow coaching carousel and we had no real competition for the type of job we are offering nor the type of candidate we want. Luke Fickell was the only name associated with our job who was also floated for the other openings. All those openings are filled and Fickell is still with Cincy. We didn't need to rush him or bid against others.

Why is it taking this long? Aside from the obvious targets being tied up with Championship games last weekend, there were also NFL people to talk to. That carried into this week.

In the meantime, a few names have entered the transfer portal and Dillon declared for the NFL Draft. Dillon declaring happens regardless of the coaching change. The transfers are typical for a coaching change. You don't rush these sorts of things to appease a few guys on the roster. A head coach's impact is much bigger and with a school much longer than a few players. It is important to name a coach before Signing Day but that is still more than a week away.

In the end this has been a more thorough process than our last football searches. I remain optimistic that BC will hire a good coach. For now, we continue to wait.

What I know and what I think

Things have been relatively quiet on the coaching search front. Most of what you are hearing is speculation. For the first time that I can remember, BC fans have gotten into the flight tracking game and it appears there was a flight earlier in the week that went to Cincinnati. That would make sense as it would allow Jarmond and his small crew of BC folks to talk to Luke Fickell, Jeff Hafley and potentially Al Washington. From there we have no idea where the BC crew went.

Things I know
-- There are plenty of names that at least got looked at and/or reached out that have not been posted anywhere. Also more NFL names than people realize. I know some are concerned about the NFL and the signing period, but many coaches have made the transition and usually an NFL team will let the coach recruit while still finishing out the NFL season.
-- There has been lots of discussion of salary among BC fans. BC has enough to pay a new coach. The challenge is always do we pay enough for the coaching and support staff. Supposedly that has been addressed and will not be an issue with the new guy.
-- Don't believe that anyone is close and could be done this week (like some have speculated). Father Leahy is not involved in the search process, but will meet with the finalists. That hasn't happened yet.
-- This is probably the best coaching cycle timing we've ever had. There aren't many openings and there is no opening even comparable to BC. Even a guy who seems to have plenty of options and zero fit with BC, like Mike Norvell, has interest. In part to get leverage but also because our job is viewed as an opportunity. It is relatively low pressure and you can win at BC. While the other jobs like Arkansas or FSU pay more, they also come with huge expectations. Even a place like Mizzou fired their .500 coach after four years. We gave Addazio seven.

Speculation
Army coach Jeff Monken's name floated up Wednesday. Monken has done well at West Point, but he would not even come close to Jarmond's idea of a retool vs a rebuild. Going to option football would be a total revamp. And if Monken ditched the option, then you are taking a big risk that he can adapt from the scheme he has built his entire career on. I doubt he gets the job.

Buckle Up: Coaching Search 2019!

Addazio is gone. Gunnell is the interim. Jarmond is leading a search. That's what everyone knows. This is what I've been told.

Addazio

The writing was on the wall a long time ago. But things have been falling apart behind the scenes since the Kansas game. You saw testiness from the staff online and even behind closed doors (an alleged assistant fight). Addazio didn't know if he would be fired for certain, but that was the rumor going around the team after Notre Dame. BC also granted Rutgers permission to talk to Addazio, so that also sent a message. 

Gunnell

While they could have gone in many different ways with the staff, Gunnell was a relatively safe pick. He can focus on recruiting between now and the bowl (mostly keeping verbals committed) and let the coordinators get ready for the bowl game. He is well liked by all and will be a very likely candidate to stay on with the new coach. 

The Search

Lots of names have been floated by Feldman and Thamel. Most are predictable and are close to what I have heard. The only name that I think will get a real look that wasn't floated out by those two is Bret Bielema. While there have been feelers and guys who have been reached out to, nothing is even close to being done and no one has had a formal interview. That will start soon (probably later this week). Father Leahy has traditionally been a Wild Card in these events with regards to budgets and approvals, but supposedly he is truly going to let Jarmond run the show (see the wording in the press release).

The Al Washington stuff is pure gossip or speculation. Al might end up being the guy, but this wasn't predetermined and it certainly won't be decided early this week. The Al/Don Brown package is also not a thing. 

If I were betting, I would predict Jeff Hafley but this process never settles on the first hot name (see Mark Whipple, Jack Bicknell Jr or Bob Diaco).