COLUMBUS — Jeff Hafley said recently this season is the most fun he has had coaching in a long time.
And why not, the Ohio State co-defensive coordinator is partly responsible for one of the biggest single-unit turnarounds in the country. The Buckeyes are ranked 69 spots higher in total defense, from 71st to second, allowing 169 fewer yards than a year ago.
Hafley also could be in line for a big payday — even if he doesn’t leave Ohio State.
“Honestly, I’m just thinking about today,” Hafley said. “There’s so much that needs to go into every single day, every single minute, every meeting. I walk around here and someone grabs me here and someone grabs me there. Just to think about tomorrow would be hard for me.”
The comment came after Hafley was asked about his commitment to Day when he was hired.
Urban Meyer asked assistants to stay at least two seasons before seeking promotions, a practice Ryan Day is also using while cautioning that he would not stand in the way of someone getting a better job.
“We talk about it when people bring their families here that we’d like them to be here for a long time,” Day said. “I’d rather them not come here for one year and leave. But guys have opportunities, and I don’t want to get in the way of that. But at the same time, when you’re building relationships and you’re recruiting, we expect at least two years, sometimes more. The good news is our coaching staff is really entrenched in this community now, which is great. We love it here, and they’re happy. I don’t expect anybody to leave anytime soon.”
There are worse problems to have. Losing a valuable assistant coach isn’t something a head coach wants, but it usually means your team is successful. There can be a residual effect, though, if the person isn’t replaced with another top-level coach.
Hafley’s youth — he’s a man, he’s 40 — and roots to New Jersey and the northeast make him a logical target for Rutgers, which fired Chris Ash in September. Already, national pundits have linked Hafley with the Scarlet Knights and a potential opening at Boston College. Ironically, Hafley carries the same title Ash did at Ohio State — co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach.
Since 2012, four Ohio State coaches have had the title of defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator, and three left to be head coaches — Everett Withers, Luke Fickell, and Ash. The outlier is Greg Schiano, who was not retained by Day and was the short-lived defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots before resigning.
“I’ve had to move around as things went through my career, and sure, certainly don’t want that, but things like that happen,” Day said. “Again, I just don’t see that with our staff right now. I think guys for the most part have just got here, other than a few of us on offense, but I expect those guys to be here for a while.”
Ohio State is Hafley’s first college job since 2011 when he was the secondary coach at Rutgers under Schiano. Despite working on NFL staffs for the past seven seasons, Hafley considers himself a college coach. He previously worked at Worcester Polytechnic, Albany, Pitt, and Rutgers from 2001 to 2011.
“I’m very happy here,” Hafley said. “I feel re-energized. I love working for coach Day. I love these players. I love coming to work every day. I haven’t been able to say that in a long time, but I mean that. This is fun. So I’m really excited to be here right now.”
The Buckeyes defense isn’t the only thing being attached to Hafley — his recruiting prowess is another element attracting attention. He went from seven years in the NFL to college to immediately being one of the nation’s top recruiters. 247Sports ranks him as the country’s fourth-best recruiter, securing commitments from eight players so far.
“I think [Day] expects me to go out and get the best players,” Hafley said at his introductory news conference. “And that’s what I expect out of myself.”
First Published October 18, 2019, 7:19 p.m.
