Which Packers Assistants Could Be Head Coaches Soon?
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur’s coaching tree has established its roots and grown some branches. Nathaniel Hackett, the Packers’ offensive coordinator the previous three seasons, is the head coach in Denver. Three of LaFleur’s original position coaches, Adam Stenavich (offensive line), Justin Outten (tight ends) and Luke Getsy (quarterbacks), are coordinators.
Who could be the next head coach from the LaFleur tree?
In his annual look at the upcoming coaching cycle, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr listed three future head coaches with ties to LaFleur.
No. 1 is Stenavich, the esteemed line coach who replaced Hackett as offensive coordinator.
“Stenavich was one of the stars of a piece we did a year ago about the rise in offensive line coaches around the league,” Orr wrote. “As we correctly predicted, Stenavich was the first in a wave of talented offensive line coaches who earned offensive coordinator titles. This will happen more and more as teams continue to adopt traits of the popular Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay offense. Chris Foerster, another offensive line guru, is now the offensive coordinator of the 49ers. Coaches in the know feel like the Shanahan system takes at least two years of expertise to learn from a blocking perspective.”
Stenavich’s rise has been fast. A native of Marshfield, Wis., who played at Michigan and spent time on Green Bay’s practice squad in 2006, he got his first NFL job as an assistant offensive line coach with the 49ers in 2016.
“It’s been wild,” Stenavich said in April. “The biggest thing I think any coach, you really just try and perfect the job you have and you just keep working at being the best you can be. And if you get promoted or whatever it is, great, but if not, you’ve just got to enjoy your role and really be the best you can be. It’s been fun, having new challenges, new responsibilities and everything like that. So, it’s an honor to be here as the offensive coordinator for the Packers and I’m really excited about it.”
Looking beyond the upcoming coaching cycle, Orr mentioned Getsy and Packers receivers coach/passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable. Getsy has made lemonade out of lemons with the Bears, who are 2-1 and averaging more points per game than the Packers despite having a young quarterback and suspect receivers. Vrable has been tasked with revamping the Packers’ post-Davante Adams receiver corps.
What about special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia? Long one of the best in the business in directing the kicking game, he went 7-5 as interim coach of the Las Vegas Raiders last season to lead them into the playoffs.
Orr mentioned only two special teams coordinators: 37-year-old Chris Horton of the Ravens and 39-year-old Bubba Ventrone of the Colts. Bisaccia is 62. Orr went with history, which says older special teams coordinators won’t get an opportunity to run a team full-time.
Bisaccia has done quick work in fixing the Packers’ perennially pitiful special teams.
“We should all be lucky that we have a guy that really should be a head coach in this league leading our special teams,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said.
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