Inexperienced Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley didn’t have simply one motive for leaving Boston Faculty earlier this offseason. Primarily based on his introductory information convention on Thursday, he had at the least three.
Hafley, who was employed by the Packers in late January to exchange Joe Barry, talked in-depth about his thought course of of selecting Inexperienced Bay, and two of the most important causes have been personnel-related.
“One was Matt [LaFleur]. I’ve identified Matt for some time,” Hafley mentioned. “I labored along with his brother [Mike LaFleur], labored with Kyle [Shanahan], labored with Robert [Saleh], labored with guys that he’s identified, so I’ve identified of Matt. I’ve revered what he’s finished. … After which Brian [Gutekunst], watching the expertise that he has acquired over the previous few years. Once I actually began to look at the tape, watched the previous few draft courses and the job that he’s finished and can proceed to do going ahead, that was clearly very interesting to me.”
"That is just like the mecca of the soccer world to me & most likely to most individuals who grew up loving soccer." Welcome to Inexperienced Bay, Jeff Hafley! #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/TcPrECH2kZ
— Inexperienced Bay Packers (@packers) February 23, 2024
The previous Eagles head coach added that he was impressed by the way in which the Packers overcame adversity early within the 2023 season, after they began 2–5 in Jordan Love’s first 12 months as starter. Love would go on to guide the staff to a 9–8 end and e-book a ticket to the postseason, the place the Packers toppled the Dallas Cowboys, 48–32, within the wild-card spherical.
Hafley additionally confessed his love and reverence for the Packers franchise as a complete, calling it “the mecca of the soccer world.”
“Simply being right here and driving into Lambeau day by day, it nonetheless feels surreal,” continued Hafley. “The neighborhood, perhaps one of the best followers in all the world made a extremely, actually exhausting determination—leaving Boston Faculty, gamers that I beloved, employees that I beloved, the management on the college—it made a extremely exhausting determination quite a bit simpler and, finally, that’s why I made a decision to return.”
He additionally touched on modifications which have impacted the school sport, together with the switch portal and NIL.
“Actually, faculty soccer has modified and I do assume that—I’m not going to get on a cleaning soap field right here right now—however what I’ll say is I that do assume there wants some issues to vary.”
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The 44-year-old Hafley beforehand served as a defensive backs coach for a handful of NFL groups from 2013—2018. He will get his first NFL defensive coordinator gig in Inexperienced Bay and can work with a protection that ranked thirteenth in passing yards and twenty eighth in speeding yards allowed per sport final season.