Death, taxes, and the Green Bay Packers having a bad defensive coordinator seem to be the three guarantees in life as of late. Since winning Super Bowl XLV, the Packers have struggled to find a defense that can even meet expectations. After Mike Pettine was relieved of his job as defensive coordinator in early 2021, new head coach Matt LaFleur had a decision to make.
At the time, coaches like Rex Ryan were dream-like candidates, and Marvin Lewis and Wade Phillips were solid candidates as well. Packers fans were so loud in their support of Wade Phillips that Phillips himself put out a tweet thanking them for their support and assuring them LaFleur would make the right decision.
Fans were excited to see who would be picked to help take this team to the next level. Instead, LaFleur hired his old friend Joe Barry in a move that was doomed from the start. With another defensive coordinator search likely happening again soon, here are the top Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator candidates.
Candidates for Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Opening
Al Harris
What reunion could be sweeter than seeing Al Harris back in the green and gold? Harris was one of the most beloved Packers cornerbacks in team history, playing for Green Bay from 2003 to 2010. Nobody could forget his famous pick-six in the 2003 NFC Wild Card against the Seattle Seahawks, or that he took out a full-page ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to thank Green Bay Packers fans for always supporting him.
Al Harris has been involved as a coach in the NFL since 2012, most notably serving as the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys from 2020 to now. While defensive coordinator Dan Quinn deserves recognition for the job he’s done as defensive coordinator, Harris is also a big reason the Cowboys have given up 21 points per game or less each season since 2020.
The Packers have a lot of young talent in the secondary, and it’s easy to see how much Al Harris could help out of the gate. Just imagine how impactful the man who has helped mold corners like Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and a career resurgence for Stephon Gilmore could be for our young secondary players like Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine and Anthony Johnson Jr.
Jim Leonhard
During the original search back in 2021, LaFleur wanted Jim Leonhard to take the position. Leonhard was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Wisconsin Badgers at that time and turned down the opportunity to stay at Wisconsin, likely to become the next head coach.
While Leonhard did get his wish in 2022 on an interim basis, Wisconsin quickly replaced him with their home run hire of Luke Fickell. Now, Leonhard is at Illinois as a senior football analyst, and is likely kicking himself for making the mistake of his career like the Packers are kicking themselves for hiring Joe Barry.
It’s a long shot, but Leonhard still has the pedigree of a brilliant defensive mind and, he clearly knows how to rally a football team. LaFleur would likely welcome him back with open arms if he believes he can save this defense, and Leonhard would relish the opportunity to come back home.
Wade Phillips
It may be too late to take advantage of a championship window with an Aaron Rodgers-led offense, but it’s not too late to right the wrong that was made in early 2021. Wade Phillips has been a coach since 1970 and involved with the NFL since 1976.
Not only does Phillips have the background, but the resume speaks for itself. Although he hasn’t been a coach in the NFL since 2019, many forget just how good his defenses were. In 2015, Phillips’ Denver Broncos defense bested the high-powered Carolina Panthers offense 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. In Super Bowl LII, Phillips’ Los Angeles Rams defense held Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to just three points in the first three quarters. While the Rams did lose, Phillips’ defense surrendered just 13 points to one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
As if his resume and background didn’t speak for itself enough, Phillips also has a relationship with LaFleur from Los Angeles which played a factor in why LaFleur hired Joe Barry. Phillips also coached in the XFL this past year for a Houston Roughnecks team that made the playoffs. No defensive coordinator would be more suited for this position than Phillips.
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