Report: Ron Zook is front-runner for Packers special teams coordinator job

The Green Bay Packers coach Ron Zook is reportedly a front-runner to be named the team's special teams coordinator, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Zook, 60, was an assistant special teams coach to Shawn Slocum last season. Slocum was fired last month.

On Thursday, linebacker Sam Barrington tweeted his congratulations to Zook for being promoted. He later tweeted that he had just been going off "an article [he] read."

In the NFC Championship Game last month, the Packers committed two key mistakes on special teams. In the third quarter, the team allowed a fake field goal by the Seattle Seahawks, and in the fourth quarter, they failed to recover an onside kick.

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In his annual special teams rankings, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News placed the Packers in last place in the league.

Before joining the Packers, Zook was the head coach at Illinois from 2005 through 2011, compiling a 85-34 record. He had a 23-14 record as Florida's head coach from 2002 through 2004.

Zook was the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator in 2000 and 2001. Packers coach Mike McCarthy was the Saints' offensive coordinator during Zook's stint with the team.

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This post has been updated to reflect Barrington's later tweet.