by HJS on Fri Dec 13, 2019 10:45 am
I don't think anything is coming out of BC today. I also think that, if it was Hafley, word would be out by now. Instead, I think this is going the way of all other Leahy searches where we wander in the wilderness talking to too many and relying too heavily on the one-time interview. But, to give folks some CONTENT until Fr. Bill tells Marty exactly with whom his resume will be saddled... Here’s a compilation of stories I got from the Rutgers guys regarding Hafley. Essentially, he is the perfect recruiter for BC and a great guy.
“Nicest coach I ever met. From recruit parents to coaches at other schools... everyone talks unsolicited about what a great person Jeff is.”
”One of the top 2 or 3 best recruiters I’ve come across in 20 years of covering college sports.” He does it in a different way. He isn’t all about sales. He knows everyone, talks to everyone, befriends everyone. If the kid is a fit at the school he’s at, it becomes a no brained because everyone in that kids’ world vouches for the guy.
When he shows up at a school, he not only meets with the star athlete at the school, he meets with EVERY player. He offers advice, he offers to contact coaches at the lower levels on behalf of kids. He even met with non-football players who were just interested in the school. He gives ou his personal cell to these non-recruits and answers their calls.
A buddies’ cousin played for Bosco. He had offers from D3 and IAA schools. Hafley came to the school and talked to him as the kid was struggling with what to do. After that discussion, it became clear to him that passing on Williams was stupid just to play at a slightly higher level at Bryant. He had a 25th bday and a bunch of guys from his old Bosco team was there. They started reminiscing about being recruited. From the most elite recruited guy to the benchwarmer, they spent like a half hour telling Hafley stories and how much they loved the guy.
“I have talked to recruits for far too long. I can identify a kid who will fit BC within a 5 min of talking to him. They are different kids. To land those types of kids, there isn’t a more perfect recruiter.”
As a coach, what they always heard was that he was very smart, organized and connected in the fraternity. But, my guys couldn’t speak to the Xs and Os.
The question mark...Is he a leader?
One buddy is a strong believer in what made Schiano great at RU was his leadership. He willed that program forward and managed signing off on paraphernalia to make sure that the Block R on a random T-shirt promoted the culture he was fostering. He has no idea what kind of leader Hafley would be because he’s never been in such a spot. He doesn’t doubt the guy can do it, he just doesn’t know or sure he’ll have a vision and be able to execute on it. When RU was looking, he favored coaches who had head coaching experience already because of this very issue. However, if you were forced to pick someone who had never done it, he thought Hafley was the most likely who could.
"The Michelangelo of stupidity is again on top of his scaffolding, lying on his back and painting a masterpiece of imbecility on the ceiling of a virtual Sistine Chapel." © 2023 A AngryDick Joint