Wisconsin News and Sports
Shawn Slocum
Former Green Bay Packers Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum has a new job today.
Slocum has been hired as Associate Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 10-3 in 2014.
Slocum was fired by the Packers in late January after special teams miscues cost them the NFC Championship game at Seattle.
Prior to joining the Packers, Slocum had college jobs at Texas A & M, Pittsburgh, Southern California and Mississippi.
Ron Zook – Photo/Packers.com
There’s still no official announcement from the team, but Packers linebacker Sam Barrington broke the news via Twitter today.
Congratulations to our new Special Teams coordinator Ron Zook.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy fired Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum last Friday. The Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and two costly special teams mistakes were the difference.
Zook came on board last season to serve as a special teams assistant under Slocum. He was previously the special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1996-98.
The NFL Honors program is set for this evening at Symphony Hall at the Phoenix Convention Center.
The Leagues MVP Award will be handed out tonight and the 2015 Hall of Fame Class will be unveiled. Following is my preview of tonight’s event on the eve of Super Bowl 49.
Shawn Slocum
Two days after his season ending press conference, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has fired his special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum.
Slocum became McCarthy’s assistant special teams coach from 2006-09 before taking over as special teams coordinator the next six years.
The Packers finished last in the Dallas Morning News’ annual special teams rankings this past season. They had seven blocked kicks, including five over the final seven regular-season games.
The problems culminated with two critical plays the cost the Packers the NFC Championship game against Seattle. The Packers gave up a fake field goal with a 16-0 second-half lead over Seattle. Then came Brandon Bostick’s attempt to catch an onside kick. The ball bounced off his helmet and was recovered by the Seahawks, who went on to win 28-22 in overtime. [Read more…]
Mike McCarthy
The first question from reporters at Mike McCarthy’s season ending press conference had to do with Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum and his future with the team.
The Green Bay Packers loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game had to do with the performance on special teams as anything else.
In a story this week in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Seahawks targeted Brad Jones on the fake field goal that resulted in a touchdown. The Packers weren’t prepared for the fake.
Then, with just over two-minutes to play, Brandon Bostick attempted to catch the onside kick instead of blocking and the ball bounced off of him and was recovered by the Seahawks.
AUDIO: Mike McCarthy said it’s time to evaluate :09
AUDIO: Mike McCarthy said any changes won’t come for another week or so :17
The Packers’ special teams units ranked 32nd and last in the Dallas Morning News’ annual rankings and many feel Slocum will have a difficult time hanging on to his job.
Special Teams Coordinator Shawn Slocum
The Green Bay Packers got off to a decent start on special teams this past season, but the unit took a nose dive in the second half and finished dead last according to the annual NFL special-teams rankings released on Friday by the Dallas Morning News.
The Packers suffered five of their seven blocked kicks in games 10-16. Punter Tim Masthay had his worst season in Green Bay and the kickoff return unit struggled.
Green Bay’s Micah Hyde did return two punts for touchdowns and kicker Mason Crosby had another outstanding season.
The Dallas Morning News special teams rankings don’t include playoff games, but that didn’t stop the Packers from continuing their struggles in the playoffs. [Read more…]
Special Teams coach Shawn Slocum
Green Bay Packers Mike McCarthy wouldn’t go into detail, but he said changes are coming on the teams special teams unit this week.
McCarthy knows when you struggle on special teams, allowing a long punt return for touchdown and then have a 53-yard field goal attempt blocked, it sets off the radar of future teams on the schedule.
“Our special teams are going to be stressed down the stretch,” McCarthy said. “We need to not only combat that but we need to go out and make plays ourselves.”
“I think anytime you get in these kinds of games, you get down to Week 15, your identity and your performance has been evaluated. Everybody feels you’re strong in one area and not so strong in another and how they’re going to attack you.” [Read more…]
Coach Slocum (L) at practice
With an erratic offense and defense, the Green Bay Packer’s special teams have been a consistent high point of the season. They reversed the momentum of both home games which resulted in wins for the Packers.
The dynamics of the games against the Bears and Saints changed when a fake field goal was scored for a touchdown, and a fake punt allowed a drive to continue for an eventual touchdown.
Head coach Mike McCarthy credits the improvement over the years to special teams coach Shawn Slocum and his philosophy on special teams.
Audio: McCarthy on improvement on special teams :20
The proof of this improvement in special teams lies in the numbers. 2009 was Slocum’s first year as head special teams coach.
2009 saw the Packers average 6.9 yards per punt return while allowing 10.1 yards per punt return. Currently, they average 13.5 yards per punt return and allow 6.2 yards.
As for the fake and trick plays that have occurred this season, Slocum has deemed the plays “necessary.”
Audio: Slocum not surprised at use of fake plays so far :11
Tight-end D.J. Williams says the success of the trick plays take pressure off other special team players. [Read more…]