Get In

New Boston College football coach Jeff Hafley stood before an overflow crowd on Monday and spoke on his own for approximately 15 minutes. He spoke organically, with a tinge of realism, flooding unexpected emotion against well-placed humor. There was an appreciation for the moment as he realized how all of those people in attendance were there to welcome and support him.

Had he left his remarks at their base level, Hafley would've driven an enthusiasm and excitement into the crowd. Instead, he slowly worked himself into an intensity and drove a missive home with his final comments:

Lock arms. Get in.

"I'm here to tell you, I'm in," Hafley said. "What I'd ask the students, get in. What I'd ask the BC community, get in. What I'd ask this football team, get in. For all you guys (gathered in the room), get in. Because it's going to be real, it's going to be special, and we are going to do this together."

With that, the Hafley era began at Boston College. It was an unveiling for the BC faithful, which transformed into a crowd hanging on a coach's words. It became a soundbite answer to the buzz developing since Friday night, the start of a journey many hope culminates with the Eagles obtaining the consistently-elite status they once held within the ACC.

"We're going to compete in everything we do," Hafley said. "We're going to wake up, and we're going to compete. We're going to go to school. We're going to compete with ourselves. We're going to compete with each other. And then when we finally put the ball down and play, whoever lines up against us, we're going to compete with them. It's going to be about toughness, love and we're going to compete. And it's going to be a fun journey."

Halfey now becomes the personification of the potential built into BC's existing tradition. It's a gravitational pull for a coach raised in New Jersey and reared in the Northeast. It's a complete circle after his first game on the sidelines in 2001 for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a 33-7 win over MIT in nearby Greater Boston.

"I didn't get here on my own," Hafley said. "I met a lot of good people. I know a lot of good coaches who haven't been as fortunate to get the opportunities that I've had, and I've had a lot of people take care of and look out for me. So I need to thank them."

Becoming a head coach is a profound journey, and listing the years bubbled emotion under the new coach's surface. It was a clear perspective for how he became the Eagles' new head coach, and it leveled the appreciation for the moment. It was an instantaneous emotional connection, and it was clear he now understood what Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said to him before he accepted the position.

"I know Ryan loves this place," Hafley said. "He talks really highly about it, and I get it now. I never thought that I would leave Ryan after one season. Quite honestly, that's not what I planned on doing, but when this one opened, it felt special, and it felt right, and that's why I'm here."

Eagles fans are now converted Buckeyes fans for the next month as Hafley returns to Columbus to win a national championship. It's a collaborative road for both institutions, and there is a twist as he prepares his defense for the opportunity to dethrone Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl on December 28.

"I was joking about that yesterday," Hafley said. "I started asking which guys were coming back, and eventually someone asked why I was asking. So I said that I had to play these guys all the time now. But my number one concern, right now, is to do the best we can do to beat them. It will certainly help, though, having the familiarity with them."

The decision to hire Hafley never centered on any particular day, though. It's about creating the whole package as an institution with greatness both on and off the gridiron, and it's why his search landed - and ended - on the former NFL position coach and 2019 Broyles Award finalist as the best assistant coach in college football.

"I wish I could stay," he said. "I told Martin that in the whole process. I wish I could stay here and begin now, but I have to go win a National Championship. I owe it to Ohio State, to Coach Day, and to the players, and I'm excited. So I'm going to do that.

"When you work hard and believe in something, (when) you do it together and it's real because it's done the right way, it's going to be worth it," Hafley said. "We'll be talking about a lot of great things because, in all honesty, I want to compete and I want to win. I want to get better, and I want this to be a top 25 program. I want there to be magical moments and magical seasons like you guys have seen with Doug (Flutie) and Matt (Ryan). We need to bring back those magical moments to the Heights. That's why I'm here, and that's what we plan on doing."

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