The Green Bay Packers have found their new head coach, hiring Tennessee Titans 39-year-old offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur as the teams 15th head coach. The hiring was first announced by ESPN on Monday.
They passed on coaches with previous head coaching experience, instead going with a coach that they believe will get the most out of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He’s already worked with a number of top quarterbacks, including Matt Ryan, Jared Goff and Marcus Mariota.
LaFleur also spent time working in the Rams offense with Sean McVay and with San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan. LaFleur will bring that same offensive scheme to the Packers, which should excite Rodgers.
The decision to bring LaFleur to Green Bay will also reportedly keep Mike Pettine and his defensive coaching staff around for at least another season. Pettine just finished his first season as the Packers defensive coordinator. Under Pettine, the Packers defense finished 22nd in points, 18th in yards and 28th in defensive passer rating, but that unit also lost several key members to injury throughout the year.
Nobody expected the Packers to hire Mike McCarthy back in 2006 and he went on to win a Super Bowl. Will LaFleur follow a similar path?
LaFleur called plays for the first time last season in Nashville, but the Titans finished just 27th in scoring and 25th in yards. But injuries to quarterback Marcus Mariota were an issue for the Titans.
LaFleur’s hire is the third straight time the Packers have hired a head coach without any previous experience. Just like the previous two, Packer Nation will find out on the fly if the teams newest head coach will be successful.