I know it doesn’t mean a thing. This is my preference for who I want to see become the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next head coach. Art Rooney II isn’t giving me a vote. But you guys like hearing what we *think* not just what we *expect,* and this is a monumental moment in franchise history. If Pittsburgh’s history repeats, head coach hires won’t again be a discussion until the 2040s.

Who do I want to lead Pittsburgh into the next chapter? Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

He was going to be my choice even before the news that the Steelers will speak with him today. He’s my top candidate. No, he’s not directly from the Sean McVay tree. At 46, he’s far from old, but isn’t the uber-young hotshot like other names in the cycle. Or even of Mike Tomlin (35), Bill Cowher (35), and Chuck Noll (37) when they began their Steelers tenures.

Why Hafley? I think about head coach through a lens similar as Art Rooney II. It isn’t just about offensive or defensive mind, nor which side of the ball needs fixed more. Teams can – and have – fooled themselves into getting hyper focused on specialty and not the big picture – which the true job of a head coach. Leadership, organization, delegation, problem solving, relationship building. That’s what makes a successful head coach. The special sauce Noll, Cowher and Tomlin all possessed.

Of course, he must be a football-smart guy. It’s hard to problem solve or build relationships without being deeply knowledgeable about the game. Players won’t respect you and any message will be tuned out. But being a schematic whiz kid is far from the only requirement for the job. It’s painfully short-sighted.

Hafley? He has it all. Leader. Teacher. Connector. Football mind.

Top line, here’s what is most attractive. Hafley is still a relatively young coach with plenty of experience. He’s coached and done it all. Small colleges. Power 5 programs. Different position groups. College. NFL. Assistant, coordinator and head coach.

His head coach background is especially intriguing. From 2020-23, he led Boston College’s football program. It wasn’t an easy environment. His first season was the COVID year. Talk about a brand-new head coach having to navigate challenges. Hafley did it well. The Eagles finished with a winning record and went .500 in the ACC, netting a key overtime win against Pitt while battling ranked North Carolina and Clemson to close losses.

His four-year record wasn’t sterling: 22-26. But he bounced back from an ugly 3-9 2022 season to go 7-6 the following year, winning the program’s first bowl game since 2016. He left Boston College because, in his words, his job became far too little about the actual game.

“I’m a guy that loves football and loves to coach, and my last two years, I wasn’t coaching football anymore,” he told Fox Sports’ Greg Auman in 2025. “I felt like I was doing some other job. It was hard for me to leave the team, so hard for me to leave the team, but I just wasn’t myself anymore, because I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do.”

Still, Hafley did those other things well. He’s regarded as an excellent recruiter. In 2020, Boston College had the No. 63-ranked recruiting class. In 2021, it leapt to No. 37.  He convinced star WR Zay Flowers to turn down NIL deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to remain with the program.

The NFL doesn’t “recruit” in the same sense, but Hafley connects with players and gets them to buy in. It also speaks to his talent evaluation. That translates to the NFL, whether it’s signing free agents, assessing draft classes, keeping a team together, or managing veterans feeling out a first-year coach replacing Mike Tomlin’s big shoes.

Before Boston College, there was WPI. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. A D-III school where Hafley landed his first coaching job. He had just finished an injury-marred college career at equally tiny Siena College, an undersized receiver much like Tomlin. Hafley graduated cum laude with a degree in history. Ed Zaloom, who coached him at Siena, provided the chance to coach.

Moving up through the college ranks, Hafley coached plenty of positions. Running backs at WPI. Defensive tackles, pass rushers and the secondary as he ascended to an assistant at Albany. During that time, he drove around the Northeast and attended every coaching clinic possible. He routinely made trips to the University of Pittsburgh. So often that when Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt needed a new assistant, his coaches told him to hire Hafley.

“He was asking questions and watching tape and talking to coaches,” Wannstedt told The Athletic in 2019. “We eventually had an opening and Paul Rhoads came to me and said, ‘Jeff Hafley knows our defense as well as anybody.’”

Taking a pay cut from $40,000 to a grad assistant job offering a mere $7,000 stipend, Hafley became a Panther. Sleeping on couches, eating jars of peanut butter, he spent five years at Pitt, 2006-2010. There, he met his wife Gina, whose family is from Pittsburgh.

Most men don’t need convincing to become a head coach, but the Steelers would be something of a homecoming for Hafley and an attractive landing spot for his family. That could mean plenty considering Hafley is being interviewed for several jobs.

Hafley’s true hometown resides in New Jersey. At Pitt, he recruited the area with great success. Routinely, he pulled players from Jersey to Pittsburgh. Running backs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham along with offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings (a massive pickup at the time) are just three examples.

After Wannstedt was forced out of Pitt, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano asked Wannstedt what assistants he should consider. Wannstedt recommended Hafley. A perfect match. Hafley returned close to home, critically important as his father battled colon cancer (sadly, he died in November 2011). Hafley became Rutgers’ new DBs coach. There, he developed future NFL players like Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Schiano as the franchise’s new head coach in 2012, he brought Hafley for his first NFL job. The assistant defensive backs coach, a 31-year-old Hafley coached a 37-year-old Ronde Barber in the final year of his career. More parallels to Tomlin, who once coached up Buccaneers veterans like John Lynch, Derrick Brooks and developed Barber himself years earlier.

So much so that Tomlin and Barber became extremely close with Barber being one of the few – maybe the only – to know 2025 was going to be Tomlin’s final season.

“He has these quiet leadership qualities that people gravitate toward,” Barber told Auman in the above Fox Sports’ article. “He’s successful because he communicates, and the guys know exactly what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it.”

Hafley was promoted as Tampa’s full-time defensive backs coach in 2013. After Schiano was fired at the end of the year, Hafley remained in the NFL and went to the AFC North to serve the same role with the Cleveland Browns.

So obscure it’s not even listed in his bio, the Buffalo Bills hired Hafley for about a week. But Browns’ head coach Mike Pettine badly wanted him, and the Bills agreed to let Hafley out of his deal.

Once Hafley arrived in Cleveland, he worked with the likes of CB Joe Haden. In his first year, the Browns picked off 19 passes, second-most in the league. Three players Hafley coached, safeties Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson plus Haden, made the Pro Bowl.

The next season was far tougher; the Browns only won three games. Haden only played in five. Gipson missed a couple. Still, there were bright spots. Safety Jordan Poyer, a counted-out seventh round pick by Philadelphia who made his way to Cleveland, began his development into an excellent NFL safety. He intercepted four passes.

While there, Hafley’s recruiting ability again shined. He convinced CB K’Waun Williams, who he brought to Pitt, to try out for the Browns instead of signing a UDFA contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Williams agreed. He made the team and in a sign of not playing favorites, quickly got the nod over first-rounder Justin Gilbert.

In 2016, Hafley took a job in San Francisco as the team’s DBs coach. Despite an all-star coaching staff, the results were generally poor. But Hafley stood out in the player’s minds. Including Richard Sherman’s.

“Preparation is some of the best I’ve seen,” Sherman told the media of Hafley late in the lost 2018 season. “I’ve had some great defensive back coaches. Some great defensive coaches, defensive minds. And he’s right up there. With his preparation and how he breaks down film. How easy and simple he makes the game plan sound and how easy he makes it for guys to understand.

“He paints a very vivid picture of what you’re gonna see.”

Ryan Day convinced Hafley to return to college as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator, DBs coach and recruiter for 2019. In that year, he brought in (Jersey native) C Luke Wypler and one-time Steelers S Ryan Watts.

The Buckeyes’ defense transformed. The unit went from allowing 25.5 points per game to 13.7. Yards were cut from 404 down to 260. Only once all season did Ohio State allow more than 21 points in a game, a Fiesta Bowl loss to a Clemson team that featured future NFL stars and studs like QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne and WR Tee Higgins.

That stellar year opened the door for the head job at Boston College. After his four years on Chestnut Hill, Matt LaFleur hired him as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. A connection to brother Mike LaFleur, who worked with Hafley in Cleveland and San Francisco, introduced both sides.

In 2024, the Packers finished top 10 in NFL defense across the board: sixth in scoring, fifth in EPA, fifth in total yards, fourth in takeaways, ninth in passing touchdowns, seventh in rushing yards, third in yards per carry, sixth in points allowed per drive. All noticeable jumps from the year before.

It was a largely young defense Hafley helped develop. LB Edgerrin Cooper finished sixth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

The 2025 season started out similar. Through the first 15 weeks, before star EDGE Micah Parsons went down with a season-ending injury, the Packers’ defense ranked 8th in scoring and sixth in yards. In a primetime game against Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium, spotlighted for Aaron Rodgers’ first time facing his former team, the Steelers were held to under 300 yards and 25 points (seven of which came on a late Roman Wilson TD) with one turnover, three sacks allowed and an ugly 1-of-10 on third down.

Green Bay’s end of the season was disappointing. Ugly, really. Derrick Henry ran all over them in Week 17 and the Chicago Bears completed a historic comeback in the Wild Card Round. Injuries played a role, not just with Parsons but DL Devonta Wyatt. Not to mention the trading of NT Kenny Clark. All of that hampered run defense. Hafley’s defense wasn’t the splash playmaking group it needed to be, either.

But I don’t look at a head coach candidate solely through that lens. The stats, the outcomes, especially a couple-game subset. In 2006, Mike Tomlin’s Minnesota Vikings were 14th in scoring defense. Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson lit them up in the regular-season finale, posting 34 points. There’s a body of work, and again, being a head coach is so much more than stats in a box score.

As a coach, Hafley is regarded as high-energy and positivity. During the COVID year at Boston College, he brought out a basketball hoop to each practice, pitting players (and sometimes coaches) against each other for spirited competition. Like Mike Vrabel, he’s known to strap on blocking pads to be in the literal middle of the action. Players regard him as a patient and excellent teacher.

The 2026 coaching cycle isn’t as strong as others. Still, there are worthwhile names and whoever is the hire will get a thorough examination and fair shake. Los Angeles Rams DC Chris Shula is an intriguing name and high on my personal list. Here’s my current top three:

1. Jeff Hafley – Packers DC
2. Chris Shula – Rams DC
3. Jesse Minter – Chargers DC

I like Shula for his work ethic, demeanor, time spent in the league, and taking a defense post-Aaron Donald and keeping it solid. Pittsburgh’s defense is about to go through its own youth movement and lose anchors like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. Shula can manage that well.

Minter is only 42 but deeply experienced, becoming a college defensive coordinator in his late 20s and rising up the ranks. His units have had near-universal success. With five previous years in Baltimore, he knows the AFC North. Hafley edges them out for his combined experience and totality of his coaching career.

All three have defensive backgrounds. That wasn’t intentional. There simply are more quality defensive-minded candidates than offensive ones. Many will point out Los Angeles Rams’ pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. No doubt, he’s a smart guy and seems destined to become a future head coach.

But at 35 with just two years in the NFL, head coach seems too early. Sean McVay spent eight years in the NFL before becoming a head coach. His “tree” is similar. Liam Coen did six. Matt LaFleur 10. Kevin O’Connell seven. Zac Taylor six. And Tomlin himself had six before becoming Pittsburgh’s choice in 2007.

Scheelhaase could be a strong offensive coordinator hire, and maybe the head coach interview is that by proxy, but not head coach. Not yet.

Hafley isn’t directly from the McVay tree, news that will disappoint some. But he’s been coached by some great football minds. Kyle Shanahan (who, of course, worked with McVay). Matt LaFleur (who also worked with McVay). Coming from a “tree” isn’t a measure or guarantee of success. Bill Belichick’s branches prove that.

Without thinking too many steps ahead, who could Hafley bring to Pittsburgh? Given their connections, Los Angeles Rams OC Mike LaFleur might be a name to watch. It would technically be a lateral move, but LaFleur would get to be the actual play caller in Pittsburgh unlike his current role in Los Angeles. Potentially Mike McDaniel, hot name as he is, after sharing stops in Cleveland and San Francisco.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebackers coach Tem Lukabu could be considered as defensive coordinator. The two worked together in San Francisco and at Boston College, the latter where he served as Hafley’s DC. Or perhaps Green Bay Packers LBs Coach Sean Duggan, who worked with Hafley in college and, of course, the NFL. Maryland co-DC Aazaar Abdul-Rahim would be another name to watch after working alongside Hafley in Chestnut Hill as would Cleveland Browns LBs Coach Jason Tarver, who has done well developing Carson Schwesinger and reviving Devin Bush. Hafley and Tarver spent time together in San Francisco.

What are the pitfalls and questions? Defensive structure. One reason why I thought Hafley might not get an interview is because he runs a 4-3. Pittsburgh’s initial list, and still the majority of it, come from 3-4 structures: Chris Shula, Anthony Weaver, Brian Flores, Ejiro Evero. Lines have blurred with the increase of sub-packages but Hafley’s ideal defensive scheme carries key differences than how Pittsburgh has operated. A one-gapping even front. Cornerbacks tucked up to play press.

That philosophy could clash with what Pittsburgh currently has on the roster. Would Hafley be amenable to sticking with the Steelers’ core concepts? For at least a year or two until Cam Heyward (should he return) and T.J. Watt age out of it? Mike Tomlin came to Pittsburgh as a Bud Carson/Tony Dungy Cover 2 disciple but rocked with Pittsburgh’s 3-4 over his tenure, crucially keeping Dick LeBeau on-staff.

It would be a key question for Hafley in the interview process, but his commitment to a 4-3 isn’t disqualifying. Especially in the hopes Hafley would be a long-term coach like the names before him.

Hafley’s also shown the ability to adapt. At Boston College, he played tons of man coverage. In Green Bay, LaFleur wanted him to deploy more zone coverage in an effort to get “vision” on the ball. From a coverage selection perspective, the Steelers and Packers used similar strategies.

For the support staff, Hafley hired Strength & Conditioning Coach Phil Matusz at Boston College. The Steelers hired Matusz ahead of the 2024 season. By initial grades, it was a bad move, and it would seem wise if Pittsburgh did not retain him. Per Thursday reporting, the staff will only stay if the new hire opts to keep them. Again, an important interview question he must be asked.

One other point of connection. Dino Tomlin, Mike’s son, transferred from Maryland to join Hafley and Boston College in 2022 and 2023. His role grew and he finished the latter year third on the team in receptions and yards before spiraling back down the depth chart in 2024 under replacement Bill O’Brien. Ahead of Week 8’s game against the Packers, Tomlin praised Hafley and his defense.

“Got a lot of respect for Jeff Hafley and the work he’s doing over there with those guys,” he said to begin the Packers portion of his presser. “They’re fundamentally sound. They don’t give up big plays.”

If there’s a world where Art Rooney discusses the next hire with Tomlin (which, to be clear, I doubt) or the brain trust of Omar Khan and Rooney consider anything through Tomlin’s lens, Hafley again fits.

By all accounts, Hafley possesses the core of what being a coach is all about. The heart of a teacher. That’s coaching. Teaching. Whether it’s technique, scheme or life, that’s the essence. It’s in his background. His mother is a teacher. So is his sister. It’s abundantly evident in his own resume.

To summarize, the reasons to like Hafley are multiple:

1. Blend of youth with head coaching experience, making him battle-tested and Day One ready for the job
2. Strong leader, organizer and communicator to get players to buy-in; someone with the heart of a teacher
3. A smart football mind who has learned from – and taught – several notable names
4. A diverse background coaching multiple position groups at virtually every level
5. Ties to the city to understand Pittsburgh’s culture and the franchise’s expectations, plus AFC North coaching experience
6. Tangible success building defenses that are aggressive, attacking and ball-hungry

That’s my focus. Not the roster. Not offense or defense. It’s all about the man. Get it right and the rest can be solved. Get it wrong and nothing else matters.

If I was in that interview room, it’d be with an open mind. To listen to all candidates. Compare and contrast the conversations. Maybe a name would surprise, just in the way Tomlin’s did in 2007.

Based on what we know about the options, the totality and not just small pieces, Jeff Hafley checks all the boxes as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next head coach.