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Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers begin their search for a new defensive coordinator.
Mike Pettine, who held the position for a year under Mike McCarthy and two others under LaFleur, was fired by the Packers after the 2020 season.
LaFleur has internal candidates and potential external hires to consider.
Here is a list of 15 potential candidates to replace Pettine in Green Bay:
1 Jerry Gray
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The Packers’ defensive back coach is well respected among the players and has previous NFL experience as a defensive coordinator. He spent five years as a defensive coordinator in Buffalo (2001-05) and three more in Tennessee (2011-13), and he worked directly under Mike Zimmer for six years in Minnesota (2014-19). LaFleur hired him to return to high school in 2020, and Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos have all had their career best seasons.
2 Mike Smith
AP Photo / Mike Roemer
The Packers outside of linebackers might be ready for a chance to lead a defense. A former player in Baltimore and an assistant coach for three years at Kansas City, Smith joined the Packers in 2019 and helped revolutionize the team’s top squad. Za’Darius Smith is a Pro Bowler and All-Pro, while Rashan Gary looks like a future star. As a disciple of Pettine, could Smith have some new ideas for defense in general?
3 Wade Phillips
Dec 1, 2019; Glendale, AZ, United States; Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Like Pettine, Phillips is a former head coach who could be trusted with full control over defense, and he’s a former Super Bowl winner as a defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos. Additionally, LaFleur worked with Phillips in Los Angeles in 2017. With elite talent, Phillips has the experience to transform the Packers’ defense into a championship-caliber outfit.
4 Kris Richard
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His background in Dan Quinn’s defensive style could be very appealing to LaFleur, who worked under Quinn in Atlanta and respects the former Falcons chief. When the defensive coordinator in Seattle, Richard’s scoring defenses ranked in the top half of the NFL every three years, including two in the top five.
5 Jerod Mayo
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Super Bowl winner and Patriots defensive captain, Mayo has successfully transitioned to training, leading New England inside linebackers in each of the past two seasons. He’s a rising star in the coaching ranks. With head coach aspirations, a chance to coordinate a defense like Green Bay’s might be the right next step.
6 Marvin Lewis
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis smiles on the sidelines in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens’ longtime defensive coordinator and Bengals head coach has been with Herm Edwards at Arizona State for the past two years. Would he want to return to the NFL as the coordinator of a Super Bowl contender? The Packers could present the right opportunity.
7 James Bettcher
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Bettcher coordinated defenses in Arizona (2015-17) and New York (2018-19). His defenses weren’t statistically great with the Giants, but his attacking style was a big hit with the Cardinals. The 49ers just hired him in a senior role, but it’s possible Kyle Shanahan could let him go if he gets a chance to lead the defense at Green Bay.
8 Stephen Belichick
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Bill’s son has coached just about every Patriots job group over the past decade, making him a candidate for coordinator. Belichick’s drive tree wasn’t always produced outside of New England, but maybe the family tree can. Being a coordinator seems like the appropriate next step if he wants to become a head coach, although leaving the Patriots may not be an attractive option.
9 Kris Kocurek
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He trained formidable defensive lines in Detroit and San Francisco. His work under the direction of Robert Saleh, one of LaFleur’s closest friends, could be vital for the research. LaFleur may want a defensive system based on Saleh’s concepts, and Kocurek probably waited for a chance to be a coordinator.
Ten Teryl Austin
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Although he was never a head coach, Austin was the coordinator of a few good Lions defenses between 2014 and 2018. His year as coordinator at Cincinnati ended badly. He has been one of the Steelers’ best defense assistants over the past two seasons and could be ready for a return to lead a defense.
11 Jim Leonhard
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No list would be complete without Leonhard, another Pettine follower who has led Wisconsin’s dominant defenses in Madison since 2017. He has playing experience in the NFL, and although hiring a college coach always comes with risks. , college play often bleeds into the NFL and Leonhard’s defenses. have been among the best in the country every year.
12 Kacy Rodgers
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Now a defensive line coach under Todd Bowles for the NFC champions, Rodgers trained well like Bowles after coordinating his defenses with the New York Jets for four seasons. LaFleur praised Bowles’ defenses ahead of every meeting in 2020 and may want that system in place in Green Bay. If so, Rodgers is a logical option.
13 Mike Caldwell
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The same scenario exists for Caldwell, who coached Todd Bowles inside linebackers in Tampa Bay for the past two seasons and worked side-by-side with Bowles in New York. Both Caldwell and Kacy Rodgers would offer the opportunity to dive into the Bowles System. Caldwell helped turn Lavonte David and Devin White into All-Pros and could be essential in making the most of the much-maligned position at Green Bay.
14 Jerome Henderson
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He has played in two Super Bowls and has long coached defensive backs in the NFL. He was the Falcons’ passing game coordinator for four years, including during the 2016 season with LaFleur on staff. In 2020, his work with James Bradbury helped turn the Giants cornerback into a Pro Bowler.
15 Chris Shula
AP Photo / Doug Murray
The young defensive assistant coach has played with Sean McVay in Miami, Ohio and has been on McVay’s staff each of the past four years, including the last two as an outside linebackers coach. The Packers had great respect for the Rams’ defensive plan, and the teams might want to find someone who worked under coordinator Brandon Staley. He is the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula.
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