Generally speaking, New Jersey might not be the most popular of the 50 states. Best known for… Generally speaking, New Jersey might not be the most popular of the 50 states. Best known for its crowded highways, jughandle intersections and lack of a premier city, the Garden State tends not to raise eyebrows.

But for Pitt football, New Jersey has been nothing short of a gold mine. Running backs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham are just a couple of the notable talents that have been plucked from the state.

Yet Pitt didn’t have a strong presence in New Jersey for many years. The Panthers signing a four-star recruit from the Garden State was virtually unheard of until 2009, when five recruits from New Jersey joined the Panthers, including Graham.

The man charged with recruiting in New Jersey, secondary coach Jeff Hafley, was making his mark. Not only was Pitt hitting the Garden State harder than ever before, but the Panthers were also signing top-tier recruits. Hafley, a Montvale, N.J., native, played an integral role in courting all of them.

Graham says it was Hafley’s honesty that struck him the most.

“He was truthful to me, and I like that about a person,” Graham said. “He told me that when I get here, this is how it is going to be. Not that everything’s going to be easy, but you have to work for everything. I respected that, and I like that about him.”

Unlike many recruiters, Hafley doesn’t take the traveling-salesman approach to attracting talent. He acts more like an older brother, making players feel welcome but giving them the sort of insights that they’re usually shielded from.

Hafley considers this approach to be a key aspect of fostering strong relationships with his recruits.

“I try to be very up front with them,” Hafley said. “Gradually, they begin to believe the things that I tell them. I don’t lie to them. I don’t promise them anything. I don’t sugarcoat anything. I’m very straightforward with them. I like to learn a lot about these guys, so it’s a two-way street.”

Hafley’s desire to learn goes far beyond his recruiting. He graduated from Siena College in New York, where he played wide receiver. But Hafley ran into injury problems numerous times, finding himself hampered by three separate surgeries during his collegiate career.

Hafley’s football career appeared to hit rock bottom, but his coaches at Siena saw potential for him to succeed on the sidelines. They had him sit up in the coach’s booth and try his hand at assisting them. Hafley thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity.

“I think it was from that moment on that I knew I wanted to coach,” Hafley said. “I kind of take the injury as a blessing. It ultimately brought me to where I am today.”

The coaching venture breathed new life into Hafley’s career. He spent the 2001 season coaching running backs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute before performing a smorgasbord of coaching duties at Albany during the next four years.

After receiving his master’s degree from Albany in 2003, he gave recruiting a shot for the first time during the next two seasons.

He came to Pitt in 2006 as a graduate assistant. He worked tirelessly to prove himself to the coaching staff, even sleeping at the team’s facilities to maximize his efficiency.

“I basically gave up those two years of my life,” Hafley said. “I didn’t want to look back at such a great door that had opened for me through [head] coach [Dave] Wannstedt and walk away saying that I didn’t give it everything I had, whether or not I got hired.”

Hafley’s tireless efforts earned him the respect of Pitt’s coaching staff. He was promoted to his current role as secondary coach in 2008 and has continued to impress his superiors.

Wannstedt praises Hafley for his recruiting prowess, but sees the young coach making his mark in other ways as well.

“Jeff is as strong a voice in our defensive meetings as anyone,” Wannstedt said. “He’s got a bright future, there’s no question about it.”

Phil Bennett, defensive coordinator, is also confident that Hafley will continue to make strides in coaching.

“He’s awesome. Don’t think for a second that he’s just a recruiter,” Bennett said. “He absorbs everything you tell him, and it comes to him. He ties things together. His growth in my three years here is awesome. His next step, without question, will be a coordinator job.”

In the meantime, though, Hafley continues to find talent in New Jersey, including two more four-star recruits who will join the Panthers next season —  multi-purpose player Bill Belton and defensive tackle Marquise Wright.