Jeff Hafley's first year at Boston College didn't exactly start as planned. He was a first time head coach with a reputation as both a defensive wizard and a master recruiter, but he barely caught his breath from the end of Ohio State's national semifinal loss before COVID-19 flipped his world on its head.
Everything went up in smoke after a handful of practices. Students dispersed to their hometowns and erased the spring calendar, and Hafley's coaching staff likewise went home to support their families. The overall flight forced the universe into a virtual reality, and a scheme normally installed during practice sessions on the Fish Field House turf instead converted to the same Zoom world as everyone else.