Packers' defensive coordinator hiring is a bad omen for college football

ESPN's Pete Thamel broke the news and quoted a source on why Hafley left a head-coaching job to become a coordinator. The response doesn't bode well for the future of the sport he's leaving behind.

"He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football... College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers," said Thamel's source.

Hafley isn't the only coach to leave a head-coaching gig for a coordinator role. Alabama poached two mid-major coaches, South Alabama's Kane Wommack and Buffalo's Maurice Linguist, earlier this offseason.

Last year, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was able to nab Kent State coach Sean Lewis for his offensive coordinator opening.

As the job of college head coaches evolves in the transfer portal and NIL era, we'll likely continue to see coaches at smaller programs flock to the NFL or schools with more resources to take on coordinator roles.

It could create a vicious cycle at the Group of Five programs, where turnover becomes rampant as the grind of doing everything besides coaching takes its toll.

While the NCAA might shrug at coaches at programs like Boston College, Buffalo and South Alabama fleeing for greener pastures, it will be much more concerning for the institution if coaches at more prominent schools get fed up and leave for the pros.

It won't happen overnight, but if the best coaches gravitate toward the NFL over time, what will that leave for college football?