News and Notes: Hafley on BC's Big Win

On Sunday afternoon, head coach Jeff Hafley met with the media for his usual day-after-a-game Zoom and touched on a number of things, including an emotional story about his father. Here’s everything you need to know from Sunday’s presser:

HAFLEY ON WHO HAS INSPIRED HIM AS A COACH

"Probably my parents. My dad was a huge inspiration to me. I guess when I was at Pitt I got a phone call…this probably has the biggest influence on me as I’ve battled through things and tried tp push through hard times…I got a call when I was at Pitt coaching, I was probably late 20’s and they said my dad was sick and had three weeks to live. That came out of the blue, he got diagnosed with (colon) cancer. I flew home a couple times to say good bye and then I remember one time he called me. They told him he couldn’t have chemo because it would kill him faster and they told him just to ride it out.

"But, I remember when he called me - I remember where I was sitting - and he told me he was going to do the chemo and he told me he was going to fight through it. He’d rather fight through it and know that he fought then let it just kill him and he did the chemo and lasted for a year rather than three weeks. For me, if he can fight through that, what can’t I fight through? I remember times where I was basically carrying him out of chemo because he couldn’t walk and he was too weak and he was too small.

“I mean, when things get hard and you lose games, that’s where my mind goes. If I can’t be inspired to fight and coach and play a game that I’m blessed to coach and he can go through that, then I’m not a real leader. That’s probably the biggest inspiration in my life…November 14th, 2011 (Greg Hafley, 63), so (Monday) will be the anniversary…11 years ago. So, we got a win for him two days before, maybe he had a little bit to do with some of those plays last night.”

HAFLEY ON THE ROAD TRIP HOME

“It felt like no one wanted to leave the locker room. It was like we had to go around and tell everybody let’s go, let’s get to the busses, let’s get to the plane, so we probably took more time than I’ve ever seen just with guys not wanting to leave. It was emotional in the locker room. Guys were dancing, guys were hugging. There was tears in some guys’ eyes. Guys were screaming. It was a very, very cool experience.

“By the time you get to the plane, guys were talking and they were happy, then about 20 minutes into the ride everybody is pretty much passed out because they’re exhausted,” Hafley explained. “Honestly, it’s a pretty draining day, a pretty draining 24 hours. The emotion that goes into preparing yourself physically and mentally for the game. Then, it’s a 60 minute game, but it’s a four hour game that you have to be so locked in physically and mentally. I put the starters in first class in front of the coaches, I want them to be comfortable.

“I think I got up to use the restroom at one point and all the guys were just out, quiet and tired. But, on the bus to the airport, guys had music playing and guys were having a good time.”

HAFLEY ON JURKOVEC’S NICE GESTURE ON TRIP HOME

“One of the cool moments on the plane was Owen Stoudemire – he came out of the game, so he was injured – he was not in first class and Phil gave up his seat and went back and sat way back in the plane and let Owen have his first class seat. I think that’s pretty…probably a small thing for some people to think about, but I think that’s a pretty big deal. One of the leaders on your team who is still injured and dealing with a bunch of thing gives up his seat. I thought that was a cool moment of leadership and maturity from Phil.”

HAFLEY ON WHAT GOT THE TEAM OVER THE HUMP SATURDAY NIGHT

“I started to see it…I started to see momentum build in the second half of the Duke game and I saw an energy after the game even though we lost and I saw an energy on the field this week. I really got the sense guys were starting to believe. Even though it was the 16th-ranked team and all those seniors…I felt like they really believed they were going to win this game.

“My message to the team Friday night in the hotel when I spoke to them before we broke and went up for bed, I asked all the guys if they really believed that we could win the game. I got quiet and I told the guys I want to think about it. I said don’t lie to me. Think about why you believe we can win the game. I went around the room and asked a bunch of guys why they felt that way. They gave some really good answers, some emotional answers and I asked them to commit to that. I felt it. I woke up and I believed that we’d win the game. I felt really confident and I felt like they had an energy to them. I felt we overcame adversity. We were down 14-0, but we got better as we kept playing. I never felt that they had a doubt we could come back. They were really united and we finished it.”

HAFLEY ON PHIL JURKOVEC’S STATUS

“Phil is still in the concussion protocol. This isn’t Phil not playing because he doesn’t want to play. He’s dealing with a knee injury, which is why you see him wearing the brace. He’s got something in the back, the back of the rib that he’s working through too. Phil’s banged up right now. It’s not for a lack of him wanting to play.”