Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

It looks like the first head coaching search of the offseason might be coming to an end. The Packers are “zeroing in on” hiring Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com .

While nothing is official yet, Schefter writes that the Packers “have begun notifying other HC candidates that they’ve interviewed that they’re out and the team has made its choice.” It’s a rapid ascent for LaFleur, who last season wasn’t even calling plays. LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the 2017 season, but Sean McVay called the plays.

Andrew Ortenberg  wrote:



I'm not sure how I feel about this. McDaniels always felt too good to be true -- like a pipedream, even -- and I figured the final choice would probably be a surprise, but I don't think I had Matt LaFleur on my radar.


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Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

So does that mean LaFleur is the anti-McCarthy?
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Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

Matt LaFleur is the favorite to become the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

LaFleur, who spent last year as the offensive coordinator of the Titans and the year before as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, is close to getting hired by the Packers, according to ESPN.

The report says the Packers are telling other candidates that they’ve made their choice, which would seem to suggest an announcement is imminent.

LaFleur has a reputation as a good coach of quarterbacks, having been a quarterbacks coach in Washington and Atlanta in the NFL, as well as at Notre Dame. The Packers want to get Aaron Rodgers playing at an MVP level again, and they apparently believe LaFleur is the coach who can do that.

The 39-year-old LaFleur is a protege of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. He left the Rams for the Titans a year ago so he could get the opportunity to call plays, something he wasn’t doing as the Rams’ offensive coordinator under McVay. Now he appears close to running the whole show himself in Green Bay.

Michael David Smith  wrote:



Thirty-nine years old. Way to go and make me feel completely unaccomplished. [nohair]
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Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

The Green Bay Packers still have plenty of steps to take before concluding their head-coaching search. However, they appear to have come away from Friday’s interview with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels sufficiently impressed. According to the Milwaukee journal-Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein, McDaniels remains “very much in play with the Packers” following his interview. Meanwhile, Pro Football Talk reports that the Patriots have begun preparations for McDaniels departure.

The pros and cons of McDaniels’ candidacy have grown into the topic du jour in Wisconsin since the conclusion of the Packers’ disastrous 2018 season. However, he seems to have sufficiently answered some of team president Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst’s concerns during their initial interview. Silverstein reports that McDaniels “did not turn off Murphy and Gutekunst with a his-way-or-the-highway attitude,” an approach that contributed to his demise as the Denver Broncos’ coach nearly a decade ago. If McDaniels has learned from his mistakes, he could have a successful second act as a head coach.

And it appears McDaniels does indeed want to coach the Packers. Pro Football Talk’s report notes that McDaniels “will only interview with teams that he’d be willing to coach,” adding that he would accept the job should Green Bay offer it. That tracks with earlier reports that McDaniels turned down an interview opportunity with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Packers will probably speak with their top candidates again before making a final decision. McDaniels cannot interview again until the Patriots fall out of the playoffs or the bye week before the Super Bowl, whichever comes first.

It would seemingly take a fairly monumental shift to dislodge McDaniels as the Packers’ front-runner at this stage. Both parties have a history of shifting gears at the 11th hour, however. McDaniels infamously backed out of an agreement to become the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach last February, a decision that continues to dog him in some NFL circles. That same offseason, Murphy intended to tab Russ Ball as Green Bay’s next GM before resistance from Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers resulted in a pivot to Gutekunst. Until McDaniels has signed a contract, another change of heart remains on the table for one side or the other.

Still, that seems less likely for either party this time around. McDaniels has every reason not to blow up another head-coaching opportunity following the debacle last year. The fact that one of the most successful offensive minds in the league received only two confirmed interview requests underscores the damage backing out of the Indy job has done to his reputation.

As for the Packers, finding someone who can relate to Rodgers has become of paramount importance following the communication breakdown that formed between the quarterback and McCarthy. McDaniels has spent much of his professional career working alongside Tom Brady, a player Rodgers holds in the highest regard. That connection could pave the way to a fruitful coach-QB relationship.

The Packers have plenty to consider as McDaniels prepares for his team’s divisional-round playoff game, including the other nine confirmed coaches they have interviewed. A few of those candidates should even receive a second meeting with Murphy and Gutekunst. However, it has become increasingly clear at this stage that McDaniels, with his résumé, skills, and apparently strong first impression, has positioned himself to land the job.

Jason B. Hirschhorn  wrote:



If the rumors are true, then this article, which was posted about seven hours ago, didn't age too well. But I'm leaving it here for the sack of posterity.
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blueleopard
6 years ago
Welcome to Green Bay, Coach LaFleur!
Danreb Victorio A Believer of Greg Jennings
isocleas2
6 years ago
He seems like someone the Packers would pick, a young up and coming offensive minded coordinator. That's who Holmgren and McCarthy were before we hired them.

I didn't trust Mcdaniels anyways.
Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

Team president Mark Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst interviewed LaFleur on Sunday.

A former college quarterback, LaFleur rose through the coaching ranks as a quarterbacks coach, and he worked alongside current NFL head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay at several stops along the way. He was the offensive coordinator for McVay in Los Angeles last season before taking the job as the primary playcaller in Tennessee in 2018.

The Packers fired McCarthy on Dec. 2 and have conducted an exhaustive coaching search ever since, interviewing as many as 10 candidates.

Zach Kruse  wrote:



It'll be interesting to see how Rodgers cottons to playing for a former quarterback. The thought of his having been the offensive coordinator in Los Angeles is encouraging.
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yooperfan
6 years ago
I guess it’s official.
Keeping Pettine
Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago
For some perspective, here's an article from a few days ago, before LaFleur was interviewed:

On the surface, they are numbers that give pause: 25th and 29th. Those rankings, of course, are the Tennessee Titans’ 2018 regular season marks in total offense and passing offense, respectively – the ones leading some to wonder what the team’s offensive coordinator, Matt LaFleur, really has to offer the Green Bay Packers as a head coaching candidate.

But as with anything worth examining in football, the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The Packers will interview LaFleur for their head coaching vacancy on Jan. 6. The 39-year-old coordinator joins a cohort that also includes interim head coach Joe Philbin, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores, New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell and Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, with more candidates receiving interview requests.

It’s no surprise that McDaniels is the odds-on favorite to win the job – what’s more, he reportedly turned down an interview from the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, making Green Bay his only interview so far (and, likely, at all).

Michelle Bruton  wrote:



I wonder what LaFleur demonstrated during his interview to leapfrog McDaniels -- or if, as I've found myself wondering multiple times over the past few weeks, Green Bay's rumored interest in McDaniels was always a smokescreen.
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Nonstopdrivel
6 years ago

I guess it’s official.
Keeping Pettine

Originally Posted by: yooperfan 


What makes you say that?

EDIT: Ah.

The Green Bay Packers are expected to hire Matt LaFleur as their next head coach, sources told ESPN.

LaFleur spent last season as the Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator and previously worked under Sean McVay for the Los Angeles Rams and Kyle Shanahan with the Atlanta Falcons.

Both McVay and Shanahan are considered offensive innovators, and the Packers want their next head coach to get Aaron Rodgers back to an MVP level.

LaFleur replaces Mike McCarthy, who was 135-85-2 but was fired with four games left in his 12th NFL season. A source said LaFleur would like to keep defensive coordinator Mike Pettine on board. Pettine just completed his first season with the Packers.

The Packers zeroed in on LaFleur after interviewing 10 candidates: former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell; former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano; Packers interim head coach Joe Philbin; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels; Patriots linebackers coach/defensive play-caller Brian Flores; New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.; Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken; and former Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase.

Rob Demovsky  wrote:


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