By Rock Westfall
Jeff Hafley’s Departure from Boston College is a Reaction to CFB’s Lawlessness
On Wednesday, it was announced that Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley surrendered his position to take over as defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.
Once upon a time, a major college football head coach would never give up his position unless it was for another HC gig. But then came the transfer portal, NIL, early recruiting, self-recruiting, and an illogical calendar that this space has warned could ruin the sport.
Hafley’s departure for an assistant coaching position in the NFL won’t be the first of its kind. Rather, Hafley will likely go down as a trendsetter.
I'm really happy for Jeff Hafley! This is clearly what he desired. Meeting with him were some of my favorite production meetings in my career. I am also deeply frustrated that CFB is in the state it is in where we will continue to lose great coaches because our structure sucks
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) February 1, 2024
GOATS Gave an Initial Warning
January saw Alabama coach Nick Saban retire as the GOAT of college football. Later, Michigan coach and reigning national title inner Jim Harbaugh bolted for the NFL Los Angeles Chargers.
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Countless insiders have confirmed that it was college football’s lawlessness that drove Saban away, although he publicly denies it. As for Harbaugh, while he wants to win a Super Bowl, he is also fed up with the NCAA and its lack of consistency and structure. Thus, a Michigan Man who was offered carte blanche at the end decided to leave his alma mater for the stability of the NFL on the heels of a national championship.
Had college football had its act together, Saban and Harbaugh may have remained for several more years. The sport is less for losing them. Now, there is no incentive for elite coaches to stay, even at the best programs. In the NFL, it’s all about football. In college football, it’s about putting out daily fires and being a salesman, making perpetual cold calls for cash.
Most alarming, if two Mount Rushmore programs can’t keep their powerful and virtually king coaches, what does that say about middle-class programs? Hafley just gave us an answer.
As we have mentioned before, college football is degenerating into a Major League Baseball-type competitive balance crisis.
Opinion: Jeff Hafley Fired Himself and Boston College Football Fans Should Be Happy https://t.co/Gn5NUIkuY6
— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) February 1, 2024
The Rich Will Get Richer While Everyone Else May Ask, “Why Bother?”
Boston College is the epitome of an average college football program. They have only four double-digit win seasons in their history and none since 2007. BC finished as a top-ten team only four times. Hafley had two winning seasons in four years. In 2023, BC needed a Fenway Bowl win to finish 7-6.
Playing in a pro-sports-crazed major metropolitan market, BC football is an afterthought. It’s a tough sell with low revenue and marginal fan support. Further, Massachusetts is not a recruiting hotbed. Before the NIL era, Boston College could compete for minor bowls with the occasional good season. But since college football became lawless, Hafley saw the writing on the wall. It was time to get out while the gettin’ was good. There is no future for Boston College football or the countless similar programs that share BC’s limitations.
Boston College fans grew to hate Hafley’s predecessor, Steve Addazio, who led the Eagles from 2013 to 2019. Addazio’s career win percentage was a perfect .500, with five bowl appearances. Hafley, who was originally seen as a wunderkind and a breath of fresh air, departs BC with a .458 win percentage and one postseason appearance. The difference was probably eras. Addazio did not face the extra challenges of the sport that Hafley was confronted with.
Hafley correctly assessed that to preserve his coaching career, he had a better shot as an NFL assistant than staying at a mid-level Atlantic Coast Conference program that will never be able to compete with top programs such as Clemson or Florida State.
🦅 The Boston College Job Profile
Consistent winning but a low ceiling. Facilities have gotten better.
Jason Candle, Liam Coen, Al Washington, Dan Mullen, Bill O'Brien and more potential candidates: https://t.co/90j3DwKMtZhttps://t.co/90j3DwKMtZ
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 1, 2024
Self-Assessment Time for All Concerned
Hafley’s departure may have the school and its alums reassess why they bother with having a football program, especially in the current climate. Rest assured, there will be plenty of similar programs asking the same questions.
Programs like Alabama and Michigan can still attract good candidates after losing elite coaches based on their powerful brands, strong infrastructure, loaded donors, and ability to handle NIL. Programs such as Boston College can’t compete with that. College football is at the breaking point.
Coaches want to coach. The NFL offers that with its stability and structure. In college football, coaches are recruiting new players and are constantly working to prevent current players from leaving in a huff on the transfer portal. At the same time, they are having to shake down donors and potential NIL support. At schools like Boston College, these challenges are much more pronounced, with no realistic shot at championship success. BC is a treadmill/dead-end job.
The natural separation of haves and have-nots is organically taking place. Previously successful programs like Minnesota are now finding that they may fade into oblivion. NC State is coming off a strong season, but head coach Dave Doeren publicly had his hand out, too. With that separation comes the potential of a Super Division that breaks away from the NCAA.
https://twitter.com/PittGuru/status/1752842413809242261
A Super Division is Inevitable
The first sign of separation of haves and have-nots is the SEC and Big Ten becoming the two most powerful leagues in college football. The Pac-12 was effectively dissolved, while the Big 12 is comprised of middle to upper-middle-class programs. The ACC is a maximum security prison with name brands such as Clemson, Florida State, and Miami handcuffed until 2036 but desperately wanting out. In these four remaining power leagues, many of its member programs are at risk of becoming the Kansas City Royals of college football.
This week, the level of NCAA absurdity reached a new level with an investigation of Tennessee for “violations.” To paraphrase the late great UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, the NCAA is so mad about its feckless irrelevance that it is taking it out on Tennessee.
At what point do the big boys say, “screw this, we gone,” and form their own mega division of power programs with serious money, legions of fans, confirmed TV branding, a strong commissioner, and actual rules and structure? It may be sooner than you think.
