The Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur has been the topic of much discussion. The Packers seem to be on the road to their second consecutive losing season and maybe their worst season in a generation, there is plenty of speculation on the coaching staff. LaFleur’s seat is not warm quite yet, but that changes quickly in the NFL. LaFleur was the hand-picked leader Brian Gutekunst brought in when ascending to the GM role. Still, that relationship will have to have its limits at some point. Here are a few names that could be interesting if things go in that direction.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Possibilities
Ground Rules
There are things the Packers should avoid. Chasing lineage is a terrible idea. The problem in the NFL is limiting the coaching field and preventing entry to the market. In a purely economic sense, this is a terrible inefficiency problem and is ensuring a lack of competition that brings down actual utility. Simply put, there are plenty of great coaches who are not children of coaches. For this reason, this list will not include Wes Phillips. Phillips got into the NFL as an assistant to his dad and then met Sean McVay.
Secondly, coaching trees are sometimes deceiving. Just look at all the failures from the Bill Belichek tree. Even the vaunted McVay tree has seen some successes, but much deeper lows. McVay got his championship when given a full “all in” team, then finished 5-12. LaFleur having some massive issues right now. Brandon Staley is likely to be fired this year. Kevin O’Connell had a hot start in a season where they won every coin-flip game and now are back to earth Frequently, too much credit is given to being near the success of others.
Finally, sometimes individuals are simply “around at the time.” Eric Bienemy went from someone about whom we were all talking, to the Offensive Coordinator of the 24th-ranked DVOA offense. Leaving a brilliant head coach in Andy Reid has harmed his prospects. There must be some consideration of what load of the duties are truly owned by the individual coaches.
Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey was the Quarterback of the last truly great run of Miami Hurricanes football. He spent some time as a journeyman backup in the NFL and CFL. He had an interesting trip after his playing days. Dorsey coached high school football, worked as a pro scout for the Carolina Panthers, and even worked at IMG Academy. He found his way onto the Panthers coaching staff and was the quarterbacks coach from 2013-2017. When he was not retained he was an assistant athletics director at Florida International University (FIU). Sean McDermott then asked him to join his staff with the Buffalo Bills as the Quarterbacks Coach. Dorsey later rose to Offensive Coordinator.
The fact he was involved in scouting as well as administration is intriguing. LaFleur’s issues have come more in the managing of players and personalities rather than pure Xs and Os. Dorsey did follow a former colleague to Buffalo but from the other side of the ball. McDermott is a defensive guy and needed someone to come and work the offense for him. Dorsey was the QB Coach under Mike Shula and Brian Daboll before rising to the position. Yes, Dorsey inherited a good offense, but it has been his. He is not an underling to an offensive genius. he has to keep the offense rolling under a defensive-minded head coach.
Dorsey could help bring up the Packers offense, but comes without the strings of someone born into the coaching system. Both offense and defense are poor on the Packers now, but the team seems to favor the offensive leader. Also, modern NFL sensibilities seem to favor the concept. His Bills offense is currently third in Offensive DVOA. If Dorsey were to be the Packers Head Coach, he would have to get the offense on track. Dorsey has been working under a defensive-minded head coach and would need to find a partnership with a defensive coordinator to round this roster into shape.
Lou Anarumo
So, right after touting the hiring of an offensive coach, here is a Defensive Coordinator. Lou is a professional coach. He man got his degree in special education and was a JV high school coach. Turned that into a spot as an assistant Running Backs coach at Wagner College and then the Merchant Marine Academy (that’s not a typo). He coached at Harvard, Syracuse and Marshall while moving from Running Backs to Defensive Backs. He coached DBs with the Miami Dolphins under Joe Philbin and Adam Gase (including a stint as interim DC). After a season with the New York Giants, he joined the Cincinnati Bengals as the Defensive Coordinator.
With the early injury to Joe Burrow, the defense has had to carry the show for the Bengals this year. The defense ranks 9th in fewest missed tackles, 5th in fewest yards after catch, and 8th in opposing QB rating. He worked his way up and that has to count for something. Started in offense and made the transition. He has been in many different systems and worked for a wide variety of people. Bengals coach Zac Taylor is a McVay offensive mind guy and needed Anarumo to run this defense. Anarumo has completely filled that role.
As a Packers Head Coach, Anarumo would need to get the defense full of first-round talent to reach their potential. This defense is less than the sum of its parts. The offense will need help too. Anarumo will need to find someone to handle that task. It could mean changing the short-term understanding of this franchise; however, he seems well-suited to the task.
Todd Monken
Another guy who fought his way up. Monken played Quarterback at Knox College where he got his degree in Economics. Coached at Grand Valley State as a graduate assistant while getting his master’s degree in education leadership. Managed to be the Defensive Backs and Wide Receivers Coach at Eastern Michigan before getting his first chance at Offensive Coordinator. He bounced between the NFL and the NCAA for a while. Monken was even the head coach at Southern Miss from 2013-2015. While there he turned an 0-12 team into a 9-5 team with a bowl bid. After a few short stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns, Monken was the Offensive Coordinator on the back-to-back National Champion Georgia Bulldogs.
Todd Monken is now the Offensive Coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. The offense has improved from 9th in DVOA last year to 4th currently. His offenses have been superb and have made use of talent in rather varied ways. Having a limited Quarterback in Stetson Bennett to a mobile threat in Lamar Jackson. Monken is not tied to a system or a coaching tree. He just goes where there are opportunities and finds a way to get the best out of people.
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