The Packers will hire former Browns head coach Mike Pettine as their next defensive coordinator, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Pettine interviewed to replace Dom Capers earlier today, and head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t let the ex-Jets/Bills defensive coordinator leave the building. A long-time Rex Ryan disciple who — like Capers — runs primarily a 3-4 scheme, Pettine will now head to Green Bay after not coaching in the NFL in 2017.
The Packers’ decision to hire Pettine could have effects for not only the rest of the Green Bay defensive staff, but the coordinator market as a while. As PFR’s 2018 Coordinator Tracker shows, the Packers had considered three internal candidates — Winston Moss, Darren Perry, and Joe Whitt — as DC options, and reports have indicated some or all of that trio could now leave Green Bay after being passed over for a promotion.
McCarthy & Co. had expressed interest in external candidates, as well, and were thought to have considered Bears DC Vic Fangio their top target. Fangio, who’s drawn interest from multiple clubs, now remains on the coaching market, as does Chargers DC Gus Bradley, another Green Bay candidate. Speculatively, Fangio’s reported price tag of $2MM+ could have played a factor in the Packers taking a pass.
Pettine, 51, was a star high school coach who rose the coordinator ranks to become head coach of the Browns in 2014. After posting a surprising 7-9 record in his debut campaign, Pettine’s Cleveland squad fell to 3-13 the following season, and Pettine wasn fired. He interviewed for the Redskins’ defensive play-calling job last January but lost out to Greg Manusky.
Now that he’s under contract, Pettine could act quickly to form the remainder of his staff, especially if Moss, Perry, or Whitt leave. Former Browns and 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil should be expected to land a role on Pettine’s new coaching unit, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Well he coached the Browns when they were somehow a decent team in 2014
As a Browns fan, he’s a saint for having to put up with the Manziel drama. It’s also incredible that he got them to 7-4 to start the season a few years ago with the total lack of talent they had.
Not to mention the Ray Farmer Drama, Meddling and horrible Drafting. that was when the Browns could have had a good player where they were picking but traded back with the Bills, and pissed off Doug Marrone so badly at his GM that Marrone later quit. . Then the Browns traded up one spot to get Justin Gilbert. They fucked up that draft Miserably. LB-DE Khalil Mack
T Jake Matthews
LB Anthony Barr
T Taylor Lewan
DT Aaron Donald
CB Kyle Fuller can actually play the position
he was drafted plus he can tackle
G Zack Martin
Saf Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Browns took Manziel at #22
QB Teddy Bridgewater
QB Derek Carr
CB Bradley Roby
DL Stephon Tuitt
WR Davante Adams
RB Carlos Hyde
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Currently two players from that Draft
Remain on the Browns roster
Bitonio and Kirksey. Crowell was an undrafted free Agent. One of the most hard working guys they got that year was DL Jamie Meder.
He was undermined in Cleveland by the GM Ray Farmer. thats why they only went 7-9. They had Kyle Shanahan as OC he got run out of town. He did not want to put up with Farmer and his meddling plus Farmer couldn’t draft worth a damn, and thought Dwayne Bowe was still an elite Receiver and signed him to a huge Contract.
Good, not Fangio
You mean let and not “led” after min McCarthy? Helping you out
Mike* lol
I’m good with the hire.
If they stick to the 3-4 that opens up a need for an athletic MLB also. Hopefully this means they will consider Smith out of Georgia now if they don’t go Ferrell out of Clemson or Key from LSU edge rush wise. If Jackson or Derwin fell you almost have to go that route with how bad the secondary is.
Packers are to cheap to meet the asking price of fangio so they hire this bum. Same old pack, riding the coat tails of Rodgers and unwilling to open up there pocket books.
Pettine was a DC from 09-2013. His defenses ranked in the top 10 all 5 seasons. To call him a bum on the defensive side of the ball is a little overblown. Not to mention he by all means had success in Cleveland as a head coach. When is the last time a head coach won 10 games in two seasons there? I’ll wait..just ask Hue how tough that is.
Its tough to win in Cleveland when your front office undermines the Coaching Staff, and the Team Roster. By Drafting and signing useless players.
The Browns would have won a few games I am sure had they sat at 12 and taken Deshaun Watson.
Neither Ray Farmer or Sashi Brown pass the Eye Test on working in an NFL Front office let alone be a Teams GM.
Dwayne Bowe and Kenny Britt were basically the same guy. Sashi at least has the excuse that he was a Lawyer but is completely incompetent as a Football GM, and was saddled with the incompetent Depodesto. a Baseball Analytics clown.
Its Criminal the players they have passed up in the Draft since 2014.
Lol so they didn’t pay a coordinator $2m (which would’ve been one of the highest salaries for a coordinator in the league), does that instantly make them cheap? I mean you’re welcome to find the cash necessary to hire/sign guys to help the Packers out. Maybe Chicago outbid them and went above his asking price. There’s also the chance that Green Bay and Chicago offered the same contract and he chose to stay in Chicago.
“This bum” had a top ranked defense with the Jets and all of his previous defensive teams have finished in the top 10. Do a little research before spouting off your ignorance for the world to see
He made magic out of a disastrous situation in Cleveland. Sharp football guy, who knows how to coach, but was undermined by a nut owner, who “wanted to see Johnny Football, because a homeless guy on the street was excited”.
I expect he’ll move GB’s defense up to top 10 in the league next year and then be one of those “in demand assistants” who gets a HC job within a year or two.
When he hung his head after a loss in Cleveland, which was often, always thought he looked like Bill Goldberg.