“I wanted to coordinate. I wanted to work for a good guy. I wanted to work in a place I believed we could win. And then certainly you have to think about your goals. I’d like to be a head coach one day.” https://t.co/FsfHupO2Yj— Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) October 22, 2019
How co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has had an immediate impact on Ohio State football and its recruiting https://t.co/QuVT0Rr1QT— Stephen Means (@Stephen_Means) November 7, 2019
JEFF HAFLEY ON GOING BACK HOME TO NEW JERSEY "It's been a long time since I've been there." Hafley said he has not been back in Piscataway since he left to the Tampa Bay Bucs. ON JORDAN FULLER "Jordan might be the least talked about guy of all of them." "What he does for us mentally is one of the things people don't realize." "He sees it all." "It goes unnoticed when you see it on TV or on film." Hafley said his tackling has saved Ohio State many times. ON SHAUN WADE "Just his versatility." Hafley said they "ask him to do a lot and they ask him to think a lot." Hafley praised his ability to do many things for the defense ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE "I tell the guys in the DB room all the time, this system is built around the d-line." "You can see early in the game what kind of game it is when you see the o-line go backwards." "Those first couple of plays when you see the offensive line going backwards, it's going to be a very good day." Hafley said that makes things easy on the defensive backs.
DAY CALLS NEW JERSEY NATIVE HAFLEY AN “ALL-STAR” The biggest storyline in an otherwise “meh” upcoming weekend in an impending blowout win over Rutgers in Piscataway – other than Chase Young being ruled out for a second straight game before he comes back – will be the return of Buckeyes backup quarterback Chris Chugunov to his New Jersey roots. Despite being in Rutgers’ backyard and having a reputation as one of the state’s best passers, the Skillman, N.J. native was not offered by the program, and he’ll now have the opportunity to prove the Scarlet Knights fools when he sees the bulk of second-half snaps for the second consecutive week. The other key storyline from this week is another New Jersey native, Jeff Hafley, making a return trip to the Garden State. Ranked the No. 4 overall recruiter in the 2020 class, per 247Sports, Hafley has made an instant impact that has reverberated throughout the entire program. He hasn’t shown any signs of stopping, despite having been an NFL coach from 2012-2018 and not having been a college coach or recruiter since 2011 when he was at Rutgers under Greg Schiano. It’s almost like he’s back in his natural habitat, showcasing fluid skills that Ryan Day has seen from him for years, even when the two were coaching with the San Francisco 49ers together in 2016. “So I remember when we were with the 49ers, I told Jeff, ‘You have an unbelievable combination of recruiting,’ because he was a great recruiter when he was in college (and has) ability to relate to players,” Day said Tuesday. “Then his understanding of defensive football. I think that's what makes a great college football coach, those three things: relate to players, know what you're doing, you're a good recruiter.” Those skills from Hafley are what has helped the Buckeyes’ co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach continue to keep a foothold in New Jersey, as commitments from seniors Luke Wypler and Cody Simon make it three straight years Ohio State has landed at least one player from the state, and in 2021, Hafley has eyes on at least four recruits (Aaron Armitage and George Rooks have offers, while Duce Chestnut and Alijah Clark are also priority targets but do not yet have Buckeye offers). “(Hafley) can be an All-Star. I think Jeff is an All-Star,” Day said. “I thought that when he was at Rutgers and at Pitt. I felt like that when I worked with him in the NFL. I feel like that now. His work in Jersey is and is going to pay us dividends in the end.”
"I'll make sure he forgets about that. He's got to get over it."Hafley on Shaun Wade saying he still thinks about the 94-yard touchdown KJ Hamler scored on him this past season.— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) November 19, 2019
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley on today's Senior Day win: "We were not letting those seniors walk out of here, their last game in the Shoe, losers. No way. We told the whole team, wasn’t going to happen. There was no way it was going to happen, and it didn’t."— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2019
#OhioState co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach @CoachJeffHafley was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award today (FREE)https://t.co/WiaKDN40Re pic.twitter.com/QR34kTRUMC— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) November 26, 2019
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley is among the five finalists for this year's Broyles Award: https://t.co/0qb7meXqdK— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 2, 2019
I hate hearing this, but I think it will happen sooner than later. I don't think this staff will stay together for long.
#OhioState’s Jeff Hafley was named the @247Sports Defensive Coordinator of the Year.Congrats @CoachJeffHafley! (FREE)https://t.co/0rRVBit2VI pic.twitter.com/U4QvklJapq— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) December 11, 2019
If he leaves, so hope we go after Chris Ash again ... He won’t be poached for a very long time after his performance at Rutgers. Hell, even if he stays, we should bring Ash in as a defensive analyst to prep for the inevitable move.