Boston College Head Coach Leaving for NFL Job

Boston College football will now be looking for its next head coach. On Wednesday night, both NFL and college football sources reported that head coach Jeff Hafley will be leaving Chestnut Hill to become the next defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

Hafley will leave BC after four seasons in charge of the Eagles, compiling a 22-26 record and earning bowl eligibility in three of the four years. The 2023 squad finished with a 7-6 record, capped off by a 23-14 win over 17th-ranked SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. The victory over SMU was Boston College's first bowl win since 2016.

Hafley will replace Joe Barry as Green Bay's defensive coordinator. The Packers' season came to a heartbreaking end in the NFL Divisional Round as they a squandered a 21-17 fourth quarter lead. Green Bay was the league's 10th-ranked scoring defense and 17th in yards allowed last season.

Boston College Athletic Director Blake James thanked Hafley for his time at the institution, while also indicating that the department would immediately begin a national search for Hafley's successor.

"We are incredibly grateful to Coach Hafley for his service to Boston College and to our student-athletes. He was a true ambassador of our institution, and under his leadership, the Eagles earned three bowl berths, excelled academically, and represented Boston College with class and distinction...we are confident that we will find an exceptional new leader for our football program, and we will continue to do everything we can to support our student-athletes."

- BC Athletic Director Blake James

The Eagles don't get off to an easy start in 2024, as they open up at Florida State in Tallahassee and play at Missouri in Week 3. Both of those tomes finished in the top ten of the final 2023 AP rankings, as the Seminoles finished tied for sixth, while the Tigers finished eighth. Whoever is BC's next man in charge will have their hands full in the early going.