Packers rumors: Matt LaFleur assistant pops up on Penn State coaching radar

Seven years into his head coaching career, the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur has yet to develop any sort of a coaching tree. That could change with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who is reportedly receiving interest in Penn State’s head football coaching hunt.

Hafley, who was the head coach of Boston College from 2020 to 2023, is the latest name to come up on Penn State’s job search, according to On3 Sports. He emerged as a late-state candidate along with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

Hafley does not have any direct connections to Penn State, but he has ties to the area. He played collegiately at the Division I-AA program Siena in New York and spent nine seasons as a defensive assistant in the state of Pennsylvania at Albany and Pittsburgh.

Although Hafley has become a respected coordinator under LaFleur, he did not have much success as a college football head coach. In his four years at Boston College, Hafley took the Eagles to two bowl games but never won more than seven games in a season.

Hafley was not fired by Boston College, but rather chose to return to the NFL in his current position after his contract ended. He was subsequently replaced by former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, who has gone just 9-16 in his first two years with the team.

Packers DC Jeff Hafley’s addition to Penn State HC search

While Hafley is not a name that would excite many Penn State football fans, he is one of the best remaining options in a bad situation.

The Nittany Lions appear to be nearing desperation after nearly all of their early candidates did not pan out. Penn State was linked to Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti, Mike Elko and Eli Drinkwitz immediately after firing James Franklin, and all have since inked extensions with their current programs.

Penn States coaching search so far:

Matt Rhule extended at Nebraska
Kalani Sitake extended at BYU
Curt Cignetti extended at Indiana
Mike Elko extended at A&M
Eli Drinkwitz extended at Missouri
Clark Lea extended at Vandy
Jeff Brohm staying at Louisville
Bob… pic.twitter.com/1KS2kNcXY3

— College Football Report (@CFBReport) December 3, 2025

Penn State entered the 2025 college football season as the betting favorite to win the National Championship after returning quarterback Drew Allar and star running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. They instead ended the regular season with a 6-6 record and out of the top 25 rankings entirely.

Given the preseason expectations, Penn State’s firing of Franklin was expected. However, the circumstances that have ensued were not anticipated and leave the Nittany Lions in arguably the worst position in program history.

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