Seeking a return to the helm, Packers DC Jeff Hafley prepares to interview for the Steelers' head coaching vacancy, aiming for NFL glory.
Jeff Hafley gave head coaching a try at the college level and would like to give it another go in the NFL.
Now the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator, Hafley, is scheduled to interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday for the head coaching position, which became vacant on Tuesday when Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons.
The Steelers are also expected to interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter after talking to two Los Angeles Rams assistant coaches – defensive coordinator Chris Shula and pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase on Friday.
The Steelers have also requested interviews with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
Hafley has also interviewed for head-coaching openings with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Dolphins, and Tennessee Titans.
Hafley was the head coach at Boston College for four seasons from 2020-23. Hafley compiled a 22-26 record, and the Eagles won the Fenway Bowl in 2023 before he left Boston College to become the Packers’ defensive coordinator.
The Packers were 11th in scoring defense in the NFL this season and 12th in total defense. In his first year, they finished fifth in total yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.
The Packers were 9-8-1 this season. They reached the playoffs and lost to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Wild Card round.
Hafley began his coaching career in 2001 after graduating from Siena College, an FCS program, where he played wide receiver for four seasons. Hafley was an assistant coach at Rutgers and Pitt (2006-10), among other schools, before leaving to coach in the NFL. Pitt and the Steelers share the same training complex on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Hafley was then a defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers. Hafley went back to the college ranks and spent one season as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach before getting hired at Boston College.
The 47-year-old Hafley is a native of Montclair, N.J. He is married and has two daughters.