Here are 13 candidates for defensive coordinator if the Packers fire Joe Barry.
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin: Defensive coordinator Joe Barry is still the coach of the Green Bay Packers, according to Matt LaFleur. For the time being, anyhow.
LaFleur may be looking for his third defensive coordinator in five years when the season ends, which could be in three more weeks if Barry can’t come up with some quick fixes after his team was tormented by the Giants’ Tommy DeVito and the Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield the previous two games.
As base defense, don’t get too caught up on 3-4 vs. 4-3. To put it simply, the nickel base defense in the NFL consists of five defensive backs, two linebackers, and four on the line. Lukas Van Ness, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary also possess the size and strength to switch from outside linebacker to defensive end.
Evero is probably going to be hunting for a new position if he doesn’t land the head-coaching position in Carolina after Frank Reich was fired. Green Bay’s talent would most likely pique his interest. It’s likely that LaFleur would be relieved to not have to start from scratch on defense given Evero’s prior experience with the scheme.
When he was with Denver, Evero stated, “We want to play with great energy.” “I want people to see a defense that is playing quick, aggressive, physical, and flying around the ball when they put on our tape. Our focus will be on attacking the ball, as that is imperative. We also want to be experts in all situations, such as red zone, 2-minute, and third down. We desire to control and dominate those circumstances.
The former standout player and native of Wisconsin, Leonhard led the Badgers to some formidable defenses. Leonhard was offered the position when LaFleur was looking to replace Mike Pettine following the 2020 season, but he declined it because of his devotion to his alma mater. Would Leonhard take the call? A year ago, he lost out to Luke Fickell for the head job at Wisconsin. Is he happy playing the more relaxed, low-key role of Illinois’s senior analyst? Is he willing to leave his family behind? He is married and has three children. And after being turned down once, would LaFleur even think about coming back?
Don “Wink” Martindale is the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator.
It looks like Martindale is out in New York because of some butting
It’s possible that Martindale is in New York because of a disagreement with coach Brian Daboll. Should that occur, Martindale will be highly sought after. He fielded defenses that finished first, first, and sixth in points allowed and first, fourth, and seventh in total defense during his four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens.
The Giants rank eighth on third down this season but are 25th in points allowed and 24th in total defense. No one blitzes more frequently than the Vikings. He has a 3–4 base defense.
Before losing to the Giants a few weeks ago, LaFleur stated, “Coach Martindale’s a guy that I’ve had experience going against quite a few times when he was in Baltimore.” When I was in Tennessee and he was in Baltimore, he really got the best of us. That day was one of humility.
“I have a great deal of respect for what he can do and what he’s done in his career. He’s a guy that does a great job justGreen Bay Packer people in position and he presents a lot of different challenges for an offense.”
It’s now time for Whitt to step into the role of coordinator. During his ten years in Green Bay, the team led the league in interceptions, finished seventh in completion percentage, and had the ninth-best opponent passer rating.
The Cowboys are third in opponent rating, third in opponent completion percentage, and first in interceptions in three seasons under defensive passing-game coordinator Dallas. Dallas is ranked sixth in opponent passer rating this year, despite the loss of Trevon Diggs due to an ACL tear. Last year’s fifth-round selection DaRon Bland leads the NFL in interceptions with eight and pick-sixes with five.
From 2003 to 2009, Harris was a standout cornerback for the Packers, making two trips to the Pro Bowl and snagging fourteen interceptions in his seven seasons there. With ten years of coaching experience under his belt, he played a part in the Chiefs’ success, as they have had multiple top-10 defenses and the development of the ball-hawking Cowboys secondary.
Dallas is ninth in yards per attempt and fifth in interception percentage this season, even without the All-Pro Diggs.
In his seventh season as a member of the 49ers staff, he was selected in the second round of the 2006 draft. He is in his first season as the defensive backs coach after spending the previous four seasons coaching the safeties. In terms of points allowed, the Niners placed ninth in 2021, first in 2022, and second in 2023. In 2022, the Niners had the most interceptions in the league thanks in large part to the growth of safety Talanoa Hufanga. They rank fourth in terms of opponent passer rating this year.
From 2011 to 2018, Sheppard started 63 games at linebacker. He is considered a rising star in the industry and is in his third season with the Lions under head coach Dan Campbell’s tutelage.
Campbell stated during the previous offseason, “The more we put on Shep, the more he answers the call.” His coaching skills are improving. We witness the same growth as the players. You want to witness your coaches’ development. After our conversation, AG [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn] and I agreed that it was time to expect more from him, particularly this season.
Campbell stated during the previous offseason, “The more we put on Shep, the more he answers the call.” His coaching skills are improving. We witness the same growth as the players. You want to witness your coaches’ development. After our conversation, AG [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn] and I agreed that it was time to expect more from him, particularly this season.
Between 2001 and 2009, Pierce started 94 games for the Giants and Washington as a linebacker. Before being named the Raiders linebackers coach in 2022, Pierce served as Arizona State’s defensive coordinator in 2021. He was given the position of interim head coach this season and has guided the team to a 3-3 record. He will be considered for the permanent position.
In 2018, Graham oversaw the defensive run-game and linebackers for the Packers, who finished 13th in the league with 4.3 yards allowed per carry. That may not seem like much, but from 2019 through 2023, the Packers allowed the lowest amount of yards per carry in the league—4.7 yards.
Having spent a year in Miami, two with the Giants, and the current two with the Raiders, Graham is in his fifth season as a coordinator. The team’s point allowance ranking this year is ninth.
With the Giants, Graham’s base defense was 3-4; against the Raiders, it is 4-3. Graham spent seven seasons working under Bill Belichick, who combined different styles in this way. “I’ll say yes, whatever you want to say—4-3, 3-4, 2-4, 3-3-5—when I’m introduced in Las Vegas,” Graham remarked.
In his fourth season of employment, Campanile has helped the Dolphins rank 10th in terms of yards allowed per carry (4.2 yards). They rank fifth in the NFL this year with 3.72 yards allowed per carry, which is a major factor in their two-game lead in the AFC East.
Commencing with a tribute to Vince Lombardi, this foul-mouthed segment from “Hard Knocks” personifies his methodology. “They talk ass whopping all over the world.”
Vic Fangio is the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. So, Campanile wouldn’t be implementing significant changes to the schematic.
Harris played safety for eight seasons, starting 88 games, forcing 13 fumbles and intercepting 16 passes. He has been a coach for the past ten years, serving as Washington’s defensive backs coach from 2020 to 2022. In his first season, the Titans rank just 27th in terms of opponent passer rating. He had interviews in 2021 for the Packers coordinator position and in 2023 for the 49ers coordinator position.
Harris has experience working with both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes; Tennessee’s base is 4-3.
Pleasant worked as a coaching consultant for LaFleur towards the end of the previous season.
“I thought he could bring a different perspective to our offensive staff just seeing it through the lens of a defensive coach,” LaFleur remarked at the time. “He’s a really knowledgeable guy when it comes to the game.” I’ve always had a lot of respect for the way this guy works. That viewpoint, in my opinion, has been useful for both game planning and for truly understanding who we are and how a defensive coach might analyze us in order to keep us as unpredictable as possible.
From 2017 to 2020, Pleasant, who started at safety for Wisconsin in 2008, served as the cornerbacks coach for the Rams. In terms of interceptions during that time, his group came in second. In terms of opponent passer rating this season, the Rams rank 13th.
Pleasant has primarily worked in 3–4 schemes.
In 2021, Cullen oversaw the defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished 20th overall and 28th in points allowed. That’s not great, but in 2020 it ranked 31st in both categories. The Chiefs, who are a member of Steve Spanguolo’s defensive staff, are third in total defense and fourth in points allowed in 2023. They also won the Super Bowl in 2022.
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