Boston College's Jeff Hafley said his time at Pitt 'changed my life'

Boston College coach Jeff Hafley is a man who knows how to keep his life in proper order.

When Hafley was asked Sunday to name the greatest memory from his five years as a Pitt assistant, he quickly said, “That’s where I met my wife. My greatest memory is meeting Gina. Let’s keep that on top.”

Yet, there are so many more, and they may come rushing back to him Saturday when Pitt (3-1, 2-1) meets Hafley’s Eagles (2-1, 1-1) at Chestnut Hill on Boston College’s campus.

“Memories go on forever,” he said. “Memories of (former Pitt coach) Dave Wannstedt and that staff.”

Hafley dipped into that staff when he hired Frank Cignetti to be his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boston College. Cignetti held the same jobs at Pitt in 2009 and 2010.

“I got a lot of good ones, a lot of good ones,” Hafley said of his memories.” We could probably talk for an hour, maybe five hours, about my memories there.”

Hafley, a cum laude graduate of Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., coached defensive backs for Wannstedt from 2006-10. His best Pitt football memory is predictable.

“Probably beating West Virginia, 13-9 (in 2007), when nobody thought we could win that game.

“More importantly, the people, Dave Wannstedt, Paul Rhoads, Charlie Partridge, Chris LaSala, Bob Junko, Curtis Bray. Guys who influenced and changed my life, truthfully, because without them I wouldn’t be here right now. I probably missed a few, but (Pitt people are) some of the greatest people I met.”

After Wannstedt was fired in 2010, Hafley went to Rutgers before embarking on a six-year career as an NFL defensive backs coach in Tampa, Cleveland and San Francisco. He was Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator last season before taking the BC job.

When Hafley was hired, Wannstedt said of his former assistant, “Jeff is the perfect coach to take BC to the top of the ACC. He understands the importance of relationships on all levels with players, university personnel and high school coaches in the community.

“Jeff has a sincere commitment to helping players reach their highest potential both on and off the field. That combination is what wins championships.”

While in Pittsburgh, Hafley, 41, made many friends outside of football — his wife, of course — and also South Side businessman Richie Cupka, who owns Cupka’s 2 on East Carson Street.

Cupka said the entire Pitt coaching staff ended up at Cupka’s after returning from Morgantown, W.Va., in 2007, and sang “Take Me Home, Country Roads” almost until the sun came up.

“If this were the real (non-covid) world,” Hafley said, “I’d get (Cupka) down on the sideline with me for this one.”

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