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Jerry Montgomery

Packers Notes: Coaching, Clements, Evero, Watson

February 6th, 2024 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Tom Clements is expected to be back in Green Bay next season. The long-time coach will continue being the quarterbacks coach on Matt LaFleur’s staff in 2024, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

There was some speculation that the organization’s recent hiring of Sean Mannion could mean that the 70-year-old Clements would retire, but that isn’t the case. Per Silverstein, the Packers believe Clements will be a great mentor to Mannion, perhaps a hint that the recently-retired QB could eventually take over the role.

Over the past two years, Clements has overseen a major turnover at the position. After coaching Aaron Rodgers during his first season at the helm, Clements guided Jordan Love through the QB’s first season as a starter.

Clements has been coaching since the 1990s, serving as the QBs coach with the Saints, Chiefs, Steelers, Cardinals, and Packers. He had a two-year stint as the Bills offensive coordinator before catching on with the Packers in 2006. He spent more than a decade in Green Bay, eventually serving as offensive coordinator and later assistant head coach. He called it a career following a two-year stint in Arizona, but he was coaxed out of retirement in 2022 and returned to the Packers.

More news out of Green Bay…

  • With the Packers having settled on Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator, the rest of the defensive coaching staff is starting to take shape. According to Silverstein, Hafley will bring along BC defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase. Incumbent defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery isn’t expected to be back next season, although Silverstein adds that linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich is expected to pivot to defensive line coach in 2024, making Oghobaase’s role unknown. In addition to Montgomery, passing game coordinator Greg Williams and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti won’t return to the Packers, per Silverstein.
  • The Packers are expected to hire former Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, per Silverstein. Campanile is expected to be the team’s new run game coordinator, and the hiring was inspired by LaFleur‘s desire to transition to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Campanile has been a popular name this offseason; he interviewed for the Giants defensive coordinator job and was pursued by the Eagles to be their linebackers coach.
  • The Packers are also adding former Chargers defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley as their defensive pass-game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Ansley had a long stint in the NCAA to begin his coaching career, culminating in him serving as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He joined the Chargers the following season, and after serving as their defensive backs coach for two years, he earned a promotion to DC in 2023.
  • Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is sticking in Carolina, but if he shook loose, the Packers would have had interest, according to Fowler. The feeling would have been mutual, as Evero would have had interest in the Green Bay DC job. We heard last week that the Packers also made an unsuccessful run at Zach Orr as their defensive coordinator.
  • A hamstring injury has forced Packers wide receiver Christian Watson to miss a handful of games through his first two seasons in the NFL, but the organization is working to remedy the lingering issue. LaFleur told reporters (including Silverstein) that the Packers have a “plan” to figure out why Watson’s hamstring continues to be an issue. The team intends to send the wideout to a specialist who should provide further guidance.

Washington To Hire Patriots’ Steve Belichick As Defensive Coordinator

February 5th, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerod Mayo was interested in retaining Steve Belichick on his first Patriots staff, but that will not happen. The interview Belichick took for a college position will lead to a Foxborough exit.

The second-generation NFL coach is leaving the Patriots to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington, per 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz. Field Yates of ESPN.com indicates Belichick has since accepted the Huskies’ offer. This will mark a significant change for Steve Belichick, but given the developments with his father and the Patriots, it was not too difficult to predict he would also be leaving.

Steve Belichick, 36, worked as a defensive assistant under Bill Belichick for 12 seasons. While his tie to the all-time coaching great undoubtedly aided this rise, Bill entrusted Steve as his primary defensive play-caller over the past four seasons. The Patriots did not employ a traditional defensive coordinator following Matt Patricia‘s 2018 exit, but Mayo and Brian Flores were viewed as the top assistants on that side of the ball. Steve Belichick, however, played a major role during the 2020s.

Moving from the defensive assistant level to the safeties coach position in 2016, Steve coached the Pats’ outside linebackers from 2020-23. Matt Judon and Josh Uche delivered productive seasons during that span, though the Pats were not able to increase Steve Belichick’s ring count from three to four in the ’20s. Mayo offered Steve and Brian Belichick, who joined the staff in 2017 and has been the team’s safeties coach for the past four years, jobs on his 2024 staff. It is not yet known how Brian will proceed, but Steve will land his first coordinator job.

Bill Belichick never coached in the college ranks, but his father spent decades on the Navy staff. The Huskies hired Jedd Fisch as HC to replace new Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer; Fisch was the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach in 2020. The Huskies are also hiring Patriots running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri to help out in the secondary, Yates adds. Sunseri, 32, has been with the Pats since 2020; he spent the past three seasons as their RBs coach but initially joined Bill Belichick’s staff as a defensive assistant.

This all comes as the NFL coaching carousel came to a stop with Bill Belichick without a job. The six-time Super Bowl-winning HC was planning to be selective, though teams were also leery of Belichick and the power he would want; only two — the Falcons and Commanders — talked to him about their HC vacancies. and it should not be expected he will join a team as an assistant. While Belichick has been an NFL staffer in every season since 1975, he has not worked as a coordinator since 1999. Bill, 71, is not planning to retire; a 2025 re-emergence — in what could be his last shot to land a third NFL HC gig — will be on the radar.

Additionally, the Patriots are hiring Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to work in the same capacity, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. A Packers assistant since 2015, Montgomery worked under Dom Capers, Mike Pettine and Joe Barry. The Packers brought Montgomery up from the college ranks; he worked as a college D-line assistant from 2006-14. Montgomery, 44, will replace DeMarcus Covington, whom the Patriots moved into the DC role.

Circling back to the college ranks, two-time Patriots OC Bill O’Brien will make a rather pivotal change. After leaving the Pats to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, O’Brien is moving close to a deal to become Boston College’s next head coach, Rich Thompson of the Boston Herald reports. Prior to the Patriots hiring a new OC (Alex Van Pelt), O’Brien bolted for the Ohio State gig. The Packers’ decision to hire ex-Boston College HC Jeff Hafley as DC looks set to produce a ripple effect.

NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Lions, Saints, Packers

March 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this month, the 49ers announced a bundle of coaching hires and title changes. Head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the public of title changes for Chris Foerster (adding run game coordinator to his title of offensive line coach), Klay Kubiak (defensive quality control to assistant quarterbacks coach), and Bobby Slowik (offensive passing game specialist to offensive passing game coordinator).

Additionally, San Francisco announced the hires of James Cregg and Joe Graves as assistant offensive line coaches, Asauni Rufus and Deuce Schwartz as offensive quality control coaches, and Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator.

Here are a few other coaching notes from around the NFC starting with a note from the Motor City:

  • After seeing a good amount of shuffling in his defensive staff, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell hinted at one last hire as the NFL Combine concluded earlier this month. The eventual hire of Lamar University defensive line coach Cameron Davis as the Lions’ new assistant defensive line coach was announced by the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches.
  • The Saints’ new head coach Dennis Allen announced some new hires to his coaching staff earlier this month. After taking a year off from coaching last year, longtime NFL wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is joining New Orleans as a senior offensive assistant. Former journeyman cornerback Sterling Moore spent last season with the Saints as a defensive intern and has earned the position of defensive assistant. Joining Dr. Matt Rhea, who was hired away from the University of Alabama as the Saints’ director of sports science, the Saints also poached the Crimson Tide’s assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Clapp to serve as their strength coach.
  • Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported a couple of title changes and coaching hires for Matt LaFleur‘s staff in Green Bay. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery added the title of running game coordinator to his billing. Former assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard was promoted to safeties coach. Quinshon Odom joins the Packers as a coaching assistant (minority fellowship) after stints as a graduate assistant coach as Eastern Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and the University of Texas. Former journeyman wide receiver and special teamer Micheal Spurlock adds a ninth team to his list, joining Green Bay as a special teams quality control coach after some time assistant coaching in the college ranks.

Latest On Packers’ Coaching Staff

January 31st, 2019 at 7:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Packers are just about done filling out Matt LaFleur’s inaugural staff. They’ve made a bunch of moves over the past couple of weeks, and made several more today. While LaFleur is keeping defensive coordinator Mike Pettine from Mike McCarthy’s staff, most of the assistants are being changed out. Pettine is staying and the team previously hired Nathaniel Hackett to coordinate the offense, and today they found their third coordinator.

Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga will take the same job with the Packers, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Demovsky points out, Green Bay’s special teams were some of the worst in the league last year, so Mennenga will have his work cut out for him. Mennenga was previously an assistant special teams coach with the Browns while Pettine was the head coach in Cleveland.

The team also has a new wide receivers coach, as they’re hiring Alvis Whitted, according to Demovsky. Whitted has been in the same position at Colorado State for the last seven years. Before that Whitted spent nearly a decade in the NFL as a player, with stops in Jacksonville and Oakland.

The team also announced they were keeping four of McCarthy’s other assistants, tweets Jason Wilde of ESPN. Running backs coach Ben Sirmans, defensive backs coach Jason Simmons, defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, and assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard are all staying. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that both Simmons and Downard actually received promotions.

Packers Notes: Staff, Jefferson, Dennison

January 16th, 2019 at 9:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is interested in Dolphins assistant head coach/offense Shawn Jefferson, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). If hired, Jefferson would likely join Green Bay as receivers coach, a role for for which Jets WRs coach Karl Dorrell has already interviewed. The Packers allowed their former wideouts coach — David Raih — to join the Cardinals’ new staff earlier this offseason. Jefferson, meanwhile, started his coaching career in 2006 with the Lions before moving on to Tennessee in 2013 and Miami in 2016.

Here’s more from Green Bay:

  • The 49ers have granted the Packers permission to interview Adam Stenavich for their offensive line coach vacancy, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Stenavich, currently San Francisco’s assistant OL coach, joined the 49ers in 2017 after spending time in the NCAA ranks with Michigan, Northern Arizona, and San Jose State. Green Bay is on the hunt for a new offensive line coach after allowing James Campen, who’d been with the franchise since 2007, to take an assistant head coach/OL job with the Browns.
  • In addition to Stenavich, Green Bay has interest in longtime NFL offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Rick Dennison, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Dennison has long been a Gary Kubiak disciple, but surprisingly hasn’t followed him to Minnesota, where Kubiak is now an offensive advisor. Indeed, Dennison’s presence may have been a primary reason for Kubiak not becoming the Broncos’ OC, as Josina Anderson of ESPN.com indicated last week (via Twitter). Dennison spent 2017-18 with the Bills and Jets, respectively.
  • The Packers will also interview Redskins linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti for the same role, tweets Grant Paulsen of NBC Sports Washington. Olivadotti, 45, has essentially been a Redskins lifer: he joined the club in 2000 as a defensive quality control coach, and has worked for the team in various roles ever since, save for a 2011-13 stint at the University of Georgia. He’s familiar with LaFleur, as the two worked together in the nation’s capital in 2010 while LaFleur was Washington’s quarterbacks coach.
  • LaFleur will retain incumbent defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery and running backs coach Ben Sirmans, per Demovsky. At present, it appears Montgomery, Sirmans, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio will be the only holdovers from previous head coach Mike McCarthy‘s staff. However, it’s unclear if Montgomery and Angelichio will remain in their current roles or take on new responsibilities.
  • Despite spending the 2018 campaign as the Titans’ offensive coordinator, LaFleur will not bring any members of the Tennessee staff to Green Bay, tweets Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com.

Coaching Rumors: Vikings, Giants, Cowboys

January 24th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As had been expected, Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski will garner an interview for the club’s vacant offensive coordinator position. Stefanski, who’s coached tight ends, running backs, and quarterbacks for Minnesota, will meet with head coach Mike Zimmer this weekend, reports Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Meanwhile, former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell‘s interview with Zimmer will take place on Friday, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Ex-Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and former Broncos play-caller Mike McCoy have also speculatively been mentioned as candidates for the Vikings’ OC role, but neither has yet been asked to interview.

Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:

  • The Giants have officially hired former Panthers special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey for the same role in New York, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. This had been the expected outcome, but the Giants waited until they’d officially named Pat Shurmur as their new head coach before making any other staff additions. McGaughey, who’s also led special teams units with the 49ers and Jets, coached Carolina to a No. 6 ranking in ST DVOA in 2017. The Giants, meanwhile, ranked dead in the same metric last a season ago. Ex-Cardinals assistant special teams coach Anthony Blevins could also be joining New York’s special teams staff in the near future, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert will join the Giants under new head coach Pat Shurmur, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). Tolbert, who led the Broncos’ wideouts from 2011-17, was fired earlier this month as part of a staff shakeup. However, he reportedly drew a good deal of interest around the NFL before deciding on the Giants, per Klis. That comes as no surprise, as Tolbert nearly left Denver last offseason when the Titans expressed interest.
  • The Cowboys interviewed assistant offensive line coach Marc Colombo for their vacant tight ends coach job today, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Colombo, who played for Dallas from 2005-10, was reportedly “in the mix” to become the Cowboys’ full-time offensive line coach earlier this year after Dallas fired Frank Pollack. However, the Cowboys ultimately selected former Bengals OL coach Paul Alexander for the job. Colombo, for his part, joined Dallas’ staff in 2015.
  • The Packers formally announced their 2018 coaching staff today, and the club noted a few new additions that we haven’t yet noted here at PFR. While previous reports had indicated Jim Hostler would be Green Bay’s wide receivers coach, he’ll actually take the title of offensive passing game coordinator, with David Raih — formerly the Packers’ “offensive perimeter” coach — is handling wideouts. Meanwhile, defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery will stay with Green Bay after previously having accepted a job as Texas A&M’s associate head coach/defensive line, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Packers Announce Coaching Changes

February 12th, 2015 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

12:05pm: McCarthy confirmed at his press conference that Clements will call the offensive plays for the Packers in 2015, tweets Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

11:58am: The Packers have confirmed a handful of previously reported coaching changes, announcing today in a press release that the team has made changes on both sides of the ball, and named a pair of new special teams assistants as well. The new titles on Mike McCarthy‘s staff are as follows:

  • Tom Clements: Associate head coach/offense
  • Edgar Bennett: Offensive coordinator
  • Alex Van Pelt: Quarterbacks and wide receivers coach
  • Mike Solari: Assistant offensive line coach
  • Jerry Montgomery: Defensive front assistant
  • Ron Zook: Special teams coordinator
  • Jason Simmons: Assistant special teams coach

While the press release doesn’t mention anything about the Packers’ offensive play calls, McCarthy is expected to hand over the reins on play-calling to Clements as part of his promotion. Clements had previously been Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, while McCarthy called the plays, and now it appears that Bennett will be the OC while Clements calls plays.

McCarthy will speak to local reporters at the top of the hour to confirm the changes.

Extra Points: D. Thomas, Mariota, Boyd

February 10th, 2015 at 10:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos are set to wield the franchise tag, if necessary, to keep Demaryius Thomas, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport adds that there have been no talks between the team and Thomas’ camp for some time. The tag would cost Denver about $13MM and would limit the team’s options when it comes to tight end Julius Thomas. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL…

  • Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, a candidate to be picked first overall in April, has signed with Rep 1 Sports, and will be represented by agents Ryan Tollner, Bruce Tollner, and Chase Callahan, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). The agency also represented QB Blake Bortles in last year’s draft.
  • Tajh Boyd, a former Jets sixth-round pick, had a good workout for the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Nonetheless, Birkett says no deal is imminent between the team and the young quarterback.
  • By the time the first round of this year’s NFL draft ends, a running back or two might be among the selections, which clashes with recent history. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley could lead the draft’s running back rebirth, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports.
  • Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery is heading to to the Packers, according to Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman. There’s no sign of any defensive coaches leaving the Packers, so it seems that Montgomery will likely be installed in a new defensive position, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). His position will effectively be defense quality control, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • At OverTheCap.com, Bryce Johnston has introduced a new concept called expected contract value to attempt to more accurately assess the true value of a player’s contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.