The Packers head coaching search has begun. A few weeks ago, after Week 13, the Green Bay Packers fired their long-time head coach Mike McCarthy. He had been their head coach since 2006 and won a Super Bowl championship with the organization. Joe Philbin is their interim head coach; now that the Packers have been eliminated from the 2018 postseason hunt, they will turn their attention to finding a coach for the 2019 season.
Superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 35 years old and has about five seasons remaining in his career. While he has been playing below his normal level, the Packers quarterback is still one of the best in football. He also has arguably the highest peak of any current quarterback. Green Bay is in win now mode, wanting to make a Super Bowl push before Rodgers retires.
They need to pair Aaron Rodgers with a head coach who will prepare the team well. Most teams are looking for the next hot, young, offensive mind, the next Sean McVay or Matt Nagy. However, the Packers don’t need a creative offensive mind to lead their team; Aaron Rodgers, with weapons like Davante Adams, can create offensive magic himself. Rather, Green Bay should look for a defensive mind. Optimally, they would be able to find someone who has proven his leadership as an NFL head coach. But at the very least, the Packers should hire someone who has led top defenses in the NFL. If they can get a consistently top-10 defense, Aaron Rodgers’ offense will definitely score enough points to win a lot of games.
The best candidate in the Packers head coaching search, is Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard.
Kris Richard
Kris Richard is the one hot young coaching candidate whose specialty lies at the defensive end of the field. There is a little risk to hiring him because he is simply not as proven as others, but he is the best candidate for the job. Richard is currently the defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. He was the Seattle Seahawks’ cornerbacks coach in 2011, defensive backs coach from 2012 to 2014, and defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017.
Great Defensive Backs Coach
Kris Richard has an impressive resume of coaching defensive backs. He coached fifth round, Richard Sherman, starting from his rookie season and helped turn Sherman into a star. In addition, he helped Brandon Browner, who had been in the CFL, revive his NFL career. In Dallas, Richard has been coaching Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones. They, drafted in 2017 and 2015 respectively, had relatively little success before this season. But now after Richard’s coaching, Jones is a Pro Bowl corner and Awuzie is on the rise.
This is important in the Packers case because they drafted two talented rookie corners this year in Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. If Richard can coach them up, that would go a long way towards turning the defense into a strong unit.
Leadership Style
In addition, Richard has the personal qualities of the new era head coaches and this fits the Packers. He is only 39 years old and communicates with his players as though he is one of them. Not only does this work with young hungry players, but it also may be the way to form a strong bond with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers doesn’t lead by holding his teammates accountable as Tom Brady does or by telling each of them how important they are like Drew Brees does. Rather, Rodgers leads by example; he plays the game at a high level and acts like he’s just “one of they guys.” Kris Richard’s yelling and stomping, as if he is also “one of the guys” may be the best way to create a great relationship with Aaron Rodgers, something Mike McCarthy was seemingly never able to do.
Backup Candidate: Vic Fangio
The Packers may decide they do not want to take the risk of hiring a young coach during Rodgers’ final years. If that is the case, another solid hire would be current Bears’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Fangio has never been a head coach in the NFL but has been a good defensive coordinator for a total of 19 years. This year, he is leading the Chicago Bears defense, arguably the best in the league. It’s about time for Fangio to get an opportunity as a head coach.
He would just have to improve Green Bay’s defense and hire an offensive coordinator to work with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers’ defense is actually up from previous years to number 17 in points allowed this year. Fangio’s scheming and ability to put his players in the right position could make the defense top 10. Vic Fangio is viewed with respect in NFL circles, with a reputation for forming relationships with players who have off-the-field issues. This is a sign that he has qualities which will help him garner the trust and support of an entire locker room.
A good head coach must get the most out of his players, connect with the team and elevate the play of his specialty’s side of the ball (defense in Fangio’s case). NFL persons recognize him as having all of those characteristics.
Featured image by the Associated Press
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