Former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley left his post atop a college football program for an NFL defensive coordinator job this offseason, sparking concern that others could follow suit as roster management demands increase. Hafley’s decision to bolt from the Eagles’ program was reportedly due, in part, to that very problem: that the transfer portal and unregulated NIL create an untenable environment for head coaches.
Hafley, who arrived earlier this month in Green Bay to coach the Packers’ defense, delved into college football’s demanding landscape and the need for change during his debut media appearance with the franchise.
“I probably got to watch more football the last week and a half than I’ve gotten to watch in like for months,” Hafley said. “I mean, as a head coach in college, you’re pulled in so many different directions. I feel like a kid in a candy store again just sitting there and being able to watch tape. It’s probably one of the most refreshing and clear minds I’ve had in such a long time. I’m having a blast doing it.”
The increase in coaches’ off-field responsibilities directly correlates to less time spent focused on instruction. There is no longer an “offseason” for program leaders, who spend much of their time away from the field at donor functions, holding uncomfortable conversations with student-athletes about their perceived value and recruiting not only prospective players but also those already on their roster.
“I don’t want to speak for other college coaches,” Hafley said. “I think being a college head coach is a great job. It’s a great position… It was a storm, basically since I got the head job, of things that kept getting thrown at you. But you do the best you can, and you adapt. Certainly, college football has changed. I’m not going to get on a soapbox here today, but what I will say is that I do think there needs some things to change. But it’s still a great game and there’s still great coaches, but it changed a lot since I started that job.”
The always-on nature of the profession is arguably unsustainable, and numerous coaches and administrators have called for change this offseason as a result. Hafley himself even pointed out the industry’s new challenges just days before accepting the Packers job.
While not all of them directly attributed the transfer portal and NIL as the reasons behind their decision, nearly two-dozen college coaches accepted NFL positions since the end of the 2023 campaign. Ex-UCLA head coach Chip Kelly also took a less demanding offensive coordinator role at Ohio State and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired from coaching altogether.
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That exodus of bright minds from their respective positions sounded the alarms, and the departures of Jim Harbaugh, Hafley and Kelly were particularly jarring given that power conference head coaching positions are the highest-profile jobs in college football.
