The coaching search for the Tennessee Titans is about to heat up, and there has been no shortage of names linked to the opening.
In a recent report for The Athletic, Dianna Russini surprised many by mentioning multiple defensive coaches in connection with the Titans’ opening, including some new names who could be intriguing options.
With the Titans’ season winding down, Titans Wire is going to dive into some of those potential candidates to see what would make them an attractive hire in Nashville. The first one we will tackle is Jeff Hafley.
Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers
The former head coach of the Boston College Eagles and current defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers has been mentioned in connection with both the Titans’ and New York Giants’ coaching vacancies as the teams enter the final stretch of the 2025 season.
Hafley is an interesting candidate with nine years of NFL coaching experience and an extensive college coaching resume, whose teams have shown fight and consistency. He returned to the NFL in 2024 after his stint at Boston College to lead the Packers’ defense, and his units have excelled.
A long-time Greg Schiano disciple, he started his coaching career in 2001 at Worcester Polytechnic, before spending the next 10 years in the college ranks with Albany, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers, coaching defensive backs.
Hafley joined the NFL in 2012 as an assistant secondary coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was promoted to secondary/safeties coach in 2013. He would spend the next five seasons coaching defensive backfields in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (2014-2015) and the San Francisco 49ers (2016-2018), where his secondaries were consistently ranked among the league’s best
After the 2018 season, Hafley left the NFL for one year at Ohio State before being hired by Boston College as their head coach in 2020. At Boston College, he transformed the Eagles from an ACC afterthought to a league contender and earned three bowl invites during his tenure. He also developed talent, including first-rounders Zay Flowers and Zion Johnson, during his stay.
Frustrated by the changing landscape in the NCAA and the new influence of the NIL policy, Hafley returned to the NFL with the Packers, where he guided the Packers’ defense into a Top 10 unit in 2024, and currently sits sixth in the NFL entering Week 17.
Potential fit
Like every potential defensive-minded hire, his offensive coordinator and plan for Cam Ward will be a significant factor in the process, but Hafley has the look of a solid hire.
With his extensive college background and NFL experience, he should be able to relate to today’s NFL players, and his defensive resume shows that his philosophies and schemes can transcend levels and be successful.
Although the Titans’ defense has some holes to fill and some depth questions, the unit has more foundational pieces to build around, especially down the middle with Jeffery Simmons, Cedric Gray, and Kevin Winston Jr. Plus, his experience as a secondary coach in both college and the NFL should help Tennessee fill out their depleted secondary, which cost them a few victories in 2025.