Hafley Wants BC to Be Loose, Play Fearless on Saturdays
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
When Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers dropped a wide-open touchdown in the corner of the end zone midway through the second quarter against Pittsburgh Saturday evening, Jeff Hafley looked at his sophomore playmaker.
He said that he told Flowers not to worry—that he’d get another opportunity. In the third quarter, after cornerback Elijah Jones was called for pass interference or holding on successive drives, Hafley said that he took Jones aside and told him that even Hall of Famers draw flags like that. The first-year head coach’s message was to “shake it off and go get the next one.”
“We don’t coach tight, we don’t play tight,” Hafley told reporters on Sunday afternoon. “We don’t yell and scream at the players on the sideline during the game to get them all tight, whether they drop a ball or have a PI. We want our players to just be loose and play fearless.”
Members of the program have referred to Hafley as a players’ coach over the course of his first 10 months on the job. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t coach hard.
Hafley explained that, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each game week, he and his staff push the team not only on the field but also in meetings. Throughout the fall, the rookie head coach has emphasized that, while every win should be appreciated, the team must “look at the process and make sure it’s right,” regardless of a game’s outcome.
“We did a lot of good things, we really did, and our kids played really hard,” Hafley said of BC’s 31-30 overtime win over Pitt. “We also did some things we need to clean up, and, truthfully, it should have never come down to that extra point—and I mean that.”
Hafley said that he showed his players and fellow coaches what led to that moment: everything from missed assignments to poor alignment to BC’s seven penalties.
He said that he rolled out about 10 clips on Sunday illustrating how, often, BC was one block away from hitting a chunk play in the run game, which averaged less than one yard per carry against the Panthers’ staunch defense and now ranks third-to-last in the country.
“I mean I’m talking about inches away from getting some huge explosives,” he said. “So we’re going to keep pushing and pushing, and eventually the glass is going to break. But we’re not going to get away from it. We just need to do it better.”
Hafley said that the best sign of a really good team is a group that can improve while winning, one that doesn’t take coaching personally and doesn’t get caught up in the outside noise.
In his eyes, the staff’s job, if done correctly, should be complete by Saturday.
Then it’s time for the players to cut it loose.
“I think when you do that, and you create the culture—when it comes down at the end, I just think you see more energy, more juice, more trust in each other and confidence,” Hafley said.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
When Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers dropped a wide-open touchdown in the corner of the end zone midway through the second quarter against Pittsburgh Saturday evening, Jeff Hafley looked at his sophomore playmaker.
He said that he told Flowers not to worry—that he’d get another opportunity. In the third quarter, after cornerback Elijah Jones was called for pass interference or holding on successive drives, Hafley said that he took Jones aside and told him that even Hall of Famers draw flags like that. The first-year head coach’s message was to “shake it off and go get the next one.”
“We don’t coach tight, we don’t play tight,” Hafley told reporters on Sunday afternoon. “We don’t yell and scream at the players on the sideline during the game to get them all tight, whether they drop a ball or have a PI. We want our players to just be loose and play fearless.”
Members of the program have referred to Hafley as a players’ coach over the course of his first 10 months on the job. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t coach hard.
Hafley explained that, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each game week, he and his staff push the team not only on the field but also in meetings. Throughout the fall, the rookie head coach has emphasized that, while every win should be appreciated, the team must “look at the process and make sure it’s right,” regardless of a game’s outcome.
“We did a lot of good things, we really did, and our kids played really hard,” Hafley said of BC’s 31-30 overtime win over Pitt. “We also did some things we need to clean up, and, truthfully, it should have never come down to that extra point—and I mean that.”
Hafley said that he showed his players and fellow coaches what led to that moment: everything from missed assignments to poor alignment to BC’s seven penalties.
He said that he rolled out about 10 clips on Sunday illustrating how, often, BC was one block away from hitting a chunk play in the run game, which averaged less than one yard per carry against the Panthers’ staunch defense and now ranks third-to-last in the country.
“I mean I’m talking about inches away from getting some huge explosives,” he said. “So we’re going to keep pushing and pushing, and eventually the glass is going to break. But we’re not going to get away from it. We just need to do it better.”
Hafley said that the best sign of a really good team is a group that can improve while winning, one that doesn’t take coaching personally and doesn’t get caught up in the outside noise.
In his eyes, the staff’s job, if done correctly, should be complete by Saturday.
Then it’s time for the players to cut it loose.
“I think when you do that, and you create the culture—when it comes down at the end, I just think you see more energy, more juice, more trust in each other and confidence,” Hafley said.
