Walked into Lambeau Field in the middle of February, without a coat, bathed in sunshine with temperatures that rivaled a cool first day of training camp in July. Talk about a change in weather. The bigger change took place inside today as Head Coach Matt LaFleur, about to begin his 6th year at the wheel of the Green Bay Packers football team, introduced his third Defensive Coordinator. Jeff Hafley is the choice to succeed Joe Barry who took over the position two years after LaFleur inherited Mike Pettine from his predecessor’s staff. Maybe launching the new defensive realignment on a near 60 degree day in the dead of winter will be sign.
Matt LaFleur welcomes Jeff Hafley on staff.
LaFleur was the first at the podium in his first press conference since the season ended and began by explaining the change of direction with his defense:
LaFleur said he wants a defense that is fast and physical and one that attacks the ball. He believes Hafley has delivered results at both the collegiate and professional level doing just that. This wasn’t the only coordinator change on staff. After a 10 year run in the team’s training program, most as the the man in charge of strength and conditioning, Chris Gizzi was also let go by LaFleur who hired Aaron Hill, like Hafley, with strong San Francisco ties. Hill was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the past five years with the 49ers.
As for the man of the hour.
Jeff Hafley meets the press.
The 44 year old Hafley stepped front and center and admitted “It’s been a fast two weeks.”
Prior to his four year stint as Head Coach at Boston College, he was a secondary coach with a couple of NFL franchises. Colleagues and former players have sung praises teaching a high pressure system that he makes easy to carry out.
Hafley introduced himself by talking about his journey that pulled him to a place everyone in football should experience, Green Bay and Lambeau Field.
Hafley offered up a few details about how he’ll run a defense, primarily a 4-3 base with a secondary playing with vision but he made it clear it’s not so much about the formation but allowing players to play with their hair on fire, pursue the ball and take it away. More than X’s and O’s, Hafley said the coaches and players alike have to do it together and have it become unmistakable to notice on tape. He’s spent the past 10 days in town putting the rest of his staff together and pouring over tape of his new roster. He’s convinced there’s plenty of talent to put his plan into practice. The hard part is having his wife and two young children still back in Boston. Outside of a weekend getaway or two (including this weekend) to reconnect with his family, he has nothing else to do but watch tape and start planning. The teaching will begin soon enough.
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