The 2023 season turned out to be an exciting one for Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. The season for LaFleur and the Packers was similar to riding a roller coaster. It had several ups and downs, but it finished on an upward trajectory. At one point it seemed like LaFleur might be on the hot seat. Then, as quickly as it could turn, some were talking about LaFleur being a possible coach of the year candidate. Ultimately, even with being eliminated in the playoffs, it might have been his best coaching performance as the Packers head coach. But now, he will face a crucial decision. That is who Matt LaFleur will hire as the new Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator.
Matt LaFleur Faces Crucial Decision on the New Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator
Matt LaFleur finally did what Packers fans had been calling for, he fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry. It was a decision that was well overdue. The decision to hire Barry to replace former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine seemed like a massive reach. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the case.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has spent a lot of draft capital on the Green Bay Packers defense throughout his tenure. This season alone, the Packers had seven former first-round picks playing on their defense. Accompanying those draft choices were linebackers De’Vondre Campbell and Preston Smith. Both players playing on fairly large-sized contracts. But even with so much capital spent on that side of the ball, the results were underwhelming.
With how well the Green Bay Packers offense performed late in the season, it appears that unit is on the verge of big things. That is why the defense must start to perform better. It wasn’t going to get any better on Barry. LaFleur made the right call by showing Barry the door.
Now, LaFleur faces probably the biggest decision he has had to make for his staff since becoming the Packers head coach. He can’t make the same mistake he did with Barry. Not with the offense ready to explode in 2024. But can he make the right call? His track record doesn’t give Packers fans much hope.
A Checkered Hiring Track Record
The hiring of Barry as the Packers defensive coordinator isn’t the only hire that Matt LaFleur has botched. It might have been the most notable, but it isn’t the only one.
In LaFleur’s tenure with the Packers, he has had to hire a special teams coordinator three different times. The first came when he decided not to keep Ron Zook, who was the special teams coordinator under former head coach Mike McCarthy. He replaced Zook with Shawn Mennenga, who was recommended by Mike Pettine. Even with having no relationship with Mennenga, and solely going off of Pettine’s recommendation, LaFleur still went with Mennenga.
The results weren’t good. After two poor seasons of special teams play, LaFleur fired Mennenga. When looking for his replacement, LaFleur stayed in-house, replacing him with special teams assistant Maurice Drayton. Not only was Drayton an assistant to Mennenga, but he had previously assisted Zook. Drayton was a part of not just one poor special teams unit, but two.
In Drayton’s only season as the Packers special teams coordinator, Drayton oversaw one of the worst special teams units in NFL history. A special teams unit, that it can be argued, cost the Packers a chance of reaching the NFC Championship game. The decision to promote Drayton was one of the biggest mistakes of LaFleur’s Packers coaching careers.
While it appears that LaFleur has finally gotten it right by hiring Rich Bisaccia in 2022, he can’t make the same mistake with the defensive coordinator position. If the Packers are going to a Super Bowl contender in 2024, he has to hire the right person to run the defense.
Other Decisions Loom
Finding a new defensive coordinator position isn’t the only looming decision for LaFleur. He is going to have to decide on the rest of the defensive staff as well.
In some cases, new coordinator hires are allowed to bring with them their own staff. Or at the very least, a couple of new assistants to help them with the transition. LaFleur has total control of his staff. That means, LaFleur would need to allow his new defensive coordinator the capability of pushing out assistants who have been on LaFleur’s staff. Something, that no doubt, will be very difficult for LaFleur to do.
However, just like when Drayton was promoted, the current defensive assistants have played a part in an underperforming unit. Assistants like defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadoti, and defensive backs coach Ryan Downard have spent multiple seasons on LaFleur’s staff. All three positions they have overseen have struggled during their tenure. Pass rush specialist coach Jason Rebrovich has spent two seasons with the Packers and unlike the other three, his area has performed better. Greg Williams joined the staff before this season as the pass game coordinator. It is unknown how much he played a part in the defense’s failures.
Out of all of the current defensive assistants, it appears that Rebrovich is the only keeper. But even with knowing that, LaFleur still might keep the staff in check. One of LaFleur’s biggest weaknesses as the Packers head coach has been his loyalty to his assistants. But if he is going to make sure his defense improves, he is going to need to put that aside.
A Long List of Candidates
With only the Super Bowl left to be played, Matt LaFleur will have a long list of candidates to choose from. As we recently wrote, there are some very strong candidates to choose from. LaFleur has already begun the interviewing process. It has been reported that he and the Packers have interviewed former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich, and Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker.
Many are hoping the process of hiring a defensive coordinator will be done quickly. But for LaFleur and the Packers, they need to take their time and find the right person for the job. Starting quarterback Jordan Love, along with the rest of the offense, has the Packers on the right track. Still, if the Packers, as a whole, are going to compete for a Super Bowl, they need a competent defense. That means finding a defensive coordinator who can make sure the defense finally meets its potential.
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