The Pittsburgh Steelers are actively pursuing candidates for their head coaching vacancy, having interviewed Jeff Hafley, the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. This marks Hafley as the seventh known candidate the Steelers have interviewed, and notably, he is the sixth defensive coach in this lineup.
Under the leadership of head coach Matt LaFleur, Hafley transformed a struggling Packers defense into one of the league”s top units, particularly following the acquisition of linebacker Micah Parsons. However, the defense”s performance declined significantly after Parsons sustained an injury, which exposed some limitations within the roster.
Hafley”s coaching career has predominantly been rooted in college football. He served as the head coach at Boston College from 2020 to 2023 and was previously the defensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2019, where he gained recognition for his defensive strategies. During his tenure at Boston College, he recorded a coaching record of 22 wins against 26 losses.
His background includes a focus on defensive backs, having coached at Pittsburgh from 2008 to 2010 and later as a defensive assistant for two additional seasons. Before his collegiate coaching career, Hafley gained experience in the NFL as a defensive backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers.
Now, Hafley has emerged as a prominent head coaching candidate, receiving interest not only from the Steelers but from various teams looking to fill their head coaching positions.
