Highest of praise for new BC coach
Clemson’s Swinney says Eagles picked a winner in hiring Hafley
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was curious to meet the defensive mastermind from Ohio State who was scheming to unseat the reigning national champions.
The No. 2 seed Tigers were scheduled to face the No. 3 Buckeyes in the 2019 FBS semifinals last Dec. 29 at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
The bowl’s pregame festivities included a dinner for the two coaching staffs and their families. Swinney was on the lookout for Buckeyes defensive coordinator/secondary coach Jeff Hafley, who was in his first season under head coach Ryan Day.
Swinney’s interest in meeting Hafley went beyond beating OSU and advancing to the title game against the winner of the Oklahoma-LSU semifinal.
On Dec. 16, Hafley was formally introduced as the 36th head coach at Boston College, putting him on a collision course with Swinney for the foreseeable future.
Clemson and BC compete in the Atlantic Division of the ACC and play annually for the O’Rourke McFadden Trophy. Hafley will begin his ACC tenure when the Eagles engage the Duke Blue Devils at noon Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
“I think he’s going to be great for BC, I really do,” said Swinney during a recent Zoom press briefing. “I got to know him a little bit at the bowl game last year.
“We had a dinner and I went over to visit with him some. Since then we’ve talked on the phone some and we’ve been involved in a bunch of Zoom meetings since last March.
“I think he’s got a great perspective and he’s a really sharp guy and a bright coach. He understands Boston College and the area and I know he will put his imprint on it quickly.”
Hafley’s initial meeting with Swinney was beneficial, as was his intense study of Clemson’s operations prior to the Fiesta Bowl.
Hafley had just become a colleague in a Power-5 conference filled from top to bottom with influential shot-callers.
“We had a dinner with the Clemson staff at one of the bowl events,” said Hafley. “He came up and introduced himself and congratulated me because at that time I had already gotten the job.
“I actually met him and his wife and just a class act the both of them. They were very welcoming and at the time there was to be an ACC trip before COVID hit. We were going to get together there.
“I was just picking his brain and he said if I ever needed anything to give him a call. I really appreciated that and I have a ton of respect for him, one of the best coaches in college football.”
Swinney is not just a peer among peers in the ACC. Swinney is THE PEER, having won five straight ACC titles and two of the last four national championships.
Clemson topped the 2020 ACC preseason poll, dominated Wake Forest in its season opener and is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the favorite for the Heisman Trophy and is the projected first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“It’s not just the ACC, when you think of college football right now Clemson’s one of the schools everybody mentions first,” said Hafley. “I think it’s awesome to see how long he’s been there and how he built it the right way and the longevity of it.
“It’s about how he recruits and how he evaluates and how hard those guys play and just how they do things the right way. I think he’s got a great personality for his team and how they play for each other and I saw that obviously last year.
“I have a ton of respect for what he’s done and I think when you give a coach time like that to build it his own way around his personality, that’s what you get and he’s proven that.”
Hafley had his fingerprints all over a Buckeyes’ defense that finished the 2019 campaign ranked fourth in the nation. Ohio State allowed 13.7 points, 260 total yards and averaged 1.8 turnovers a game.
Clemson needed a fourthquarter rally to secure a 2923 victory over OSU in one of the best semifinals since the NCAA adopted a playoff format in 2014.
“They were incredible on defense, they were the best we saw all year and I mean they were incredibly well coached,” said Swinney. “It’s one thing to be talented and it’s another thing when you pull it all together and he did an awesome job.
“That was a special group and we made a few plays in a great game and a close game. It came down to the last play and we made a few big plays on them, broke a few tackles and things like that.
“But man, they were a tough bunch to prepare for because they were very talented at all three levels. Elite talent and very well coached.”
Hafley was hoping for more than accolades because he gave Swinney his best shot.
“I still have bad dreams about the last time I saw them on that day in Arizona and I get to see them again,” said Hafley.
Speaking of nightmares, BC plays Clemson in Death Valley on Halloween.