Packers hire ex-Browns coach
Mike Pettine will become Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.
GREEN BAY - Mike McCarthy’s search to fill his vacant defensive coordinator’s job ended suddenly after nine days when the Green Bay Packers coach chose former Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine to succeed Dom Capers.
McCarthy chose Pettine over inhouse candidates Darren Perry, Joe Whitt Jr. and Winston Moss.
Members of McCarthy’s staff were informed that Pettine was going to be the next defensive coordinator. ESPN reported that Pettine was in the process of working out a deal, but a source said that it was a done deal.
Pettine was out of football in 2016 after compiling a 10-22 record as coach of the Cleveland Browns and spent this past season as a defensive consultant with the Seattle Seahawks.
McCarthy had interest in Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but it appears Fangio is going to stick with the Bears. He also asked for permission to speak with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley but never got to interview him.
Pettine comes from the Rex Ryan coaching tree, having served with the Baltimore Ravens as a coaching assistant (2002-’03), assistant defensive line coach (2004), outside linebackers coach (2005-’08) and then defensive coordinator of the New York Jets (2009’12) and Buffalo Bills (2013).
Ryan was on the Ravens’ staff from 1999-2008, including as defensive coordinator his last five seasons. He took Pettine with him when he became the Jets coach (2009-’14) and then took him again with him when he became the Buffalo Bills coach (2015-’16).
Pettine accepted the Browns job in 2014 and compiled a 10-22 record before being fired.
Along the way to his head coaching job, Pettine was part of some of the NFL’s top defenses. From 2009-’12, the Jets ranked first, third, fifth and eighth in overall defense. Ryan received most of the credit for the Jets’ great defenses, but a Cleveland.com story said that Ryan turned over much of the responsibility of the defense to Pettine after the 2009 season.
In 2013, after Ryan and Pettine went to Buffalo, the Bills ranked 10th in defense.
The Ryan-Pettine systems are pressure-based and they use both 3-4 and 4-3 concepts, meaning players must understand both. There is a lot of flexibility to change game plans week to week, but according to an NFL playcaller who has faced those defenses, players have to be flexible and smart.
“History tells you they like to pressure,” the play-caller said. “Interestingly, I read that he has been spending time with Pete (Carroll) up in Seattle. That defense is much simpler from what he ran in the past.”
According to the source, who asked not to be identified, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is going to have to pick players who can handle the complexity of Pettine’s defense. The assistant coaches are going to have to be excellent teachers and the talent should
be 3-4 in nature with the ability to play multiple positions.
“Smarts is a major factor when selecting players,” he said. “Smart players willing to study.”
In Cleveland, Pettine liked to have big cornerbacks who could play press coverage so that he could disrupt routes while bringing pressure. His defenses ranked 23rd in 2014 and 27th in ’15 in total yards and 10th and 29th in scoring.
After going 7-9 in ’14, the team collapsed behind a horrible offense that featured Johnny Manziel and Austin Davis at quarterback.
Pettine got his start in the high school ranks, coaching for five years in Pennsylvania. He played at Central Bucks High School West, where his father, Mike Pettine Sr., was the head coach. His father is a legend in the Pennsylvania high school ranks, accumulating a record of 326-42-4 in 33 seasons and winning four state championships.
The Bears put on a full-court press to bring Fangio back after hiring Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy instead of Fangio as its head coach. Sources have said Fangio expected to talk with the Packers this week, but that won’t happen.
In addition to hiring a defensive coordinator, McCarthy has to fill position jobs at defensive line and inside linebacker.
McCarthy may have to replace Perry, Whitt or Moss after rejecting all three as his coordinator. All three have had inquiries from other teams in the past and might take this opportunity to move on.
Whaley was fourth GM candidate: In addition to Eliot Wolf, Russ Ball and
Brian Gutekunst, who eventually won Packers’ general manager job, team president and CEO Mark Murphy met with former Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley for the fourth and final interview of a selection process that lasted less than a week.
Whaley, 45, served as general manager of the Bills from May 2013 through the 2017 NFL draft, after which he was relieved of his duties. He first joined the organization in 2010 as an assistant GM/director of pro personnel after 11 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where his primary role was coordinator of pro scouting.
By interviewing Whaley, an AfricanAmerican, the Packers complied with the Rooney Rule.
“Doug Whaley really did a job with the interview,” Murphy said. “I think it was not confirmed, but he was the fourth interview. I knew him a little bit, so I enjoyed having a chance to spend some time with him.”
Daniels added to Pro Bowl: Defensive tackle Mike Daniels has been named to play in the Pro Bowl in place of Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, who can’t participate due to an injury, the team said. This will be Daniels’ first Pro Bowl trip after being named an alternate in each of the last three seasons.
Matthews has ‘cleanup’: Outside linebacker Clay Matthews underwent knee surgery last week that was described as “a cleanup,” according to an ESPN report.