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Former Badgers & Packers quarterback Tolzien joins Cowboys coaching staff

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Scott Tolzien File Photo – UPI/Robert Cornforth

Former Wisconsin Badger and Green Bay Packers quarterback Scott Tolzien has reportedly been hired by the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach.

Tolzien spent three seasons with the Packers under coach Mike McCarthy, who has now hired Tolzien in Dallas.

Tolzien made a pair of starts with the Packers during the 2013 season with Aaron Rodgers sidelined by injury.  He made two more starts during a stint with the Indianapolis Colts.  Tolzien spent seven-years in the NFL.

Tolzien spent the last season scouting upcoming opponents for the Wisconsin Badgers.

McCarthy has also added former Packer Al Harris as an assistant secondary coach and former Packers director of player development Rob Davis as an assistant coach.

McCarthy expected to take over as head coach of the Cowboys

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Mike McCarthy

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is expected to become the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.  The news was first reported by Fox Sports and later by ESPN.

According to reports, McCarthy stayed at the home of Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Saturday night.

McCarthy takes over Jason Garrett, who wasn’t retained after going 85-67 as the Cowboys head coach from 2010 to 2019.

McCarthy compiled a 125-77-2 record with the Packers and made the playoffs in nine of his 13 seasons.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV win and two additional NFC Championship games.

Before interviewing with the Cowboys over the weekend, McCarthy interviewed with Carolina, Cleveland and the New York Giants.

The Cowboys also interviewed Marvin Lewis before deciding McCarthy was their man.

While coaching the Packers, McCarthy had a 7-3 record against the Dallas, twice ending the Cowboys season in the divisional playoffs in the 2014 and 2016 playoffs.

Packers top pick to start on non-football illness list

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Darnell Savage

Green Bay Packers first-round draft pick, Darnell Savage, will open training camp this week on the non-football illness list.

Savage was the teams 21st overall pick this spring and took part in the teams offseason program.  He’s projected as the starting free safety this season.  ESPN reported that Savage recently had his wisdom teeth removed which prompted the decision.

Packer rookies reported today (Monday).  Veterans will join them on Wednesday with the first official training camp practice set for Thursday morning (10:15 a.m.) on Ray Nitschke Field.  It’ll be the first official training camp practice for new coach Matt LaFleur, who replaced Mike McCarthy after the end of last season.

 

Madison is excited to be back with the Packers

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After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, offensive lineman Cole Madison never reported to Training Camp.

Madison told reporters on Tuesday at the Green Bay Packers voluntary minicamp that his absence was necessary to focus on “mental health” without the distraction of football.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Madison said.  “I love football, but at that point it was my health, and my life was on the line.  I had to go help myself before my football career.”

It had been widely reported that Madison’s mental healthy issues had to do with former Washington State quarterback and teammate Tyler Hilinski’s suicide in January of 2018.  But Madison said his mental health concerns started before his teammates death.

Madison said he didn’t think about football for much of last year.  He didn’t even watch games. [Read more…]

McCarthy involved in incident with officials

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Mike McCarthy

Apparently Mike McCarthy didn’t pick up on the WIAA’s crusade against berating officials recently.  According to reports, the former Packers head coach was reportedly involved in an incident at Pulaski high school where his stepson was taking part in a high school basketball tournament game.

Fox 11 TV in Green Bay was first to report the story and confirmed with school officials that McCarthy was the person involved in the incident, which was caught on school security cameras.  It showed McCarthy following officials toward their locker room after the game, when he was reportedly verbally abusive.

Pulaski high school athletic director Janel Batten told Fox 11, “This parent chose to follow the officials and berate them, which is clearly unacceptable.”  “This parent” was McCarthy. [Read more…]

McCarthy says he’ll sit out 2019

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Mike McCarthy

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching position recently and it was the only job opening that he pursued.  However the Jets are reported to be interested in former Miami head coach Adam Gase and told McCarthy he wasn’t going to be their top choice.  That left McCarthy with the decision to not coach in 2019.

McCarthy told ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to coach in the NFL again, but it won’t be next season.

McCarthy received a call from the Jets while sitting down to dinner with his family on Wednesday.  When he informed them of the news he had received, they all started cheering.

McCarthy has five children, four of them still school-aged, so they were naturally glad knowing dad was going to be hanging around the home front more this year.

McCarthy also has the luxury of getting paid to not coach as well.  He had one year left on his contract with the Packers and they’ll be on the hook for the more than $8 million salary.

In 12-plus seasons with the Packers, McCarthy went 135-85-2, including a Super Bowl victory.  McCarthy’s reign ended when he was fired with four games left in the 2018 season.

McCarthy reportedly contacted by the Browns

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Mike McCarthy

According to a Toronto Sun report, the Cleveland Browns have reached out to Mike McCarthy about their head-coaching vacancy.

McCarthy was fired by the Green Bay Packers back on December 3.

Browns GM John Dorsey is familiar with McCarthy from their days working together in Green Bay.  McCarthy went 125-75-2 in his 13 seasons with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl in 2010.

The Browns also have a pair of former Packers personal people in their front office in assistant GM Eliot Wolf and Vice President of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith.  They’re both very familiar with McCarthy’s work as well.

The Browns will consider McCarthy, but they’ll also interview interim coach Gregg Williams, who went 5-3 in his eight game stint.

 

Packers begin search for their next coach

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Packers President Mark Murphy

Whether or not Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy should have waited until the end of the season to fire Mike McCarthy as opposed to his doing so after last Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals is still being debated.  But Murphy admitted during a news conference on Monday that Sunday’s listless performance was the last straw and a move had to be made.

“In evaluating the season, I really felt that change was needed and kind of Mike’s tenure had run its course,” Murphy said.  “And quite honestly the performance on Sunday night to me made it very clear that a coaching change was needed.”

Contrary to what has been widely reported over the last several weeks, Mark Murphy said quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t get Mike McCarthy fired.

Rodgers was asked on Monday if he was the reason for Mike McCarthy’s dismissal. [Read more…]

Packers make coaching change, fire McCarthy

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Mike McCarthy fired as head coach of the Packers.

Following Sunday’s 20-17 Packers loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field, Green Bay President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy announced the immediate firing of head coach Mike McCarthy.  He named offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as the teams interim head coach.

In a statement from the Packers, Murphy said, “The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers.  As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately.  Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field.  We want to thank Mike, his wife, Jessica, and the rest of the McCarthy family for all that they have done for the Packers and the Green Bay and Wisconsin communities.  We will immediately begin the process of selecting the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers.”

McCarthy is the first Packers coach to be fired in-season since Gene Ronzani departed with two games left in the 1953 season.

McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in 2010.  He departs with a 125-77-2 record in Green Bay, the second-best win total in franchise history behind Curly Lambeau (209-104-21).  Under McCarthy, the Packers also won six NFC North division titles and advanced to four NFC championship games.

Mark Murphy is scheduled to meet with reporters at 1:45 p.m. on Monday.

Packers playoff hopes hanging by a thread

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Aaron Rodgers File Photo – UPI/Bill Greenblatt

The Green Bay Packers dropped their sixth straight road game this season, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 24-17 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night.  The Packers (4-6-1) now need to win all five of their remaining games and get help to find a spot into the post season playoffs.

The Packers were quick to start again, jumping out to 7-0 and 14-7 leads, but like previous games, the Packers fell apart.  Nothing seemed to go right for the Packers the rest of the way.

The Green Bay defense couldn’t get a take/away, while Tramon Williams turned it over on a punt return which gave the ball back to the Vikings.  Minnesota wouldn’t score after going for it on fourth and short, but they did take more time off the clock. [Read more…]