A JERSEY GUY: BC Hires OSU's Jeff Hafley
The preliminary work has been done. Sources familiar with the process say that Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has emerged as the front-runner in Boston College's search for a new football coach.
Nothing will be done officially until after the Buckeyes Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin on Saturday night, but BC officials hope to wrap up proceedings by the end of next week.
And according to multiple sources at BC and in the Big Ten, Hafley, 40-year old rising star on Ryan Day's staff is expected to be brought to Boston College next week to complete the deal.
TMG-DECEMBER 7th
The key question around Boston College these days is when and where will the search end for a football coach to replace Steve Addazio.
As has been reported in several places, BC athletic director Martin Jarmond's primary target has been Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
And after some final negotiations involving assistant coaches salaries, the deal, according to sources, was completed late Friday night, with Hafley agreeing to a multi-year deal worth approximately $3 million per year.
An official ceremony will be held at the Yawkey Center on Monday to introduce the 40-year old Hafley.
According to sources at BC, negotiations with Hafley had snagged to point where Jarmond interviewed OSU (and former BC assistant coach and player) Al Washington earlier this week as a back-up in the event that the negotiations for Hafley collapsed.
But those issues were resolved by Friday night.
Hafley, who makes $900,000 a year at Ohio State originally wanted more than BC, which paid Addazio approximately $2.8 million per year, was willing to pay a coach in his first job as an FBS head coach.
BC received a financial break this week when Addazio was hired by Colorado State for $1.5 million per year, a number which will offset some of the approximately $4 million sources at BC say the school still owed on Addazio's contract.
Sources say that BC had budgeted as much as $3.5 million for an experienced proven head coach. And while Jarmond made it clear that his focus was on Hafley, other outlets at BC wanted Jarmond to explore all areas, including current NFL assistants.
Jarmond did that, but he made clear that his preference would be a college coach. Hafley checked off all of the boxes in Jarmond's wish list.
With no agreement reached early in the week, Jarmond went to a back up plan and interviewed Ohio State linebacker coach Washington on Wednesday.
But that option was no longer necessary as the final details were worked out Friday afternoon and Friday night.