GREEN BAY, Washington – Green Bay packers plan to hire Joe Barry as defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Saturday.
Coach Matt LaFleur had narrowed the list of finalists to include Barry and University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Barry was hired shortly after Leonhard turned down the job, a source said, but it was possible that others had made the final cut.
The team did not make a formal announcement because the deal has not yet been signed, a source said. The deal is expected to end this weekend.
Barry, 50, replaces Mike Pettine, who was not retained after his contract expired this season.
Barry and LaFleur worked together during their overlapping time with the Los Angeles Rams, where LaFleur coached quarterbacks in 2017 and Barry had been the 2017-2020 head assistant coach / line coach.
Barry had recently gone to the Los Angeles Chargers as a defensive coach and coordinator of the defensive pass game under new Chargers coach Brandon Staley, who was the Rams ’defensive coordinator last season.
This will be Barry’s third turn as NFL defensive coordinator, having held that job in Detroit (2008-08) and Washington (2015-16). Barry, of high energy, is known to prefer an aggressive style of defense, although he did not always have staff to do so in Detroit or Washington, where these defenses ranked between 28th and 32nd in the league in function of the courtyards allowed during their tenure. Washington was 17th and 18th in points allowed by Barry as coordinator.
He will have more talent to work on in Green Bay, where the defense includes two All-Pros from cornerback Jaire Alexander’s second team and outside defender Za’Darius Smith, as well as one of the league’s best defensive attacks on Kenny Clark.
Pettine returned to the Packers in the top ten in general defense; they finished ninth during the 2020 season, but the season ended in part due to a defensive breakdown that allowed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to score a touchdown in the final second at the end of the first half.
LaFleur questioned the game call after the game, saying the coverage of the man they played was “definitely not the right call for the situation.” LaFleur later called it “erroneous communication and ultimately, whenever something like this happens, this 100% falls directly on my shoulders.”
Pettine, 54, never signed an extension of the contract offered to him after last season, meaning he was in the final year of his deal, a source told ESPN, which the it became a clean division.
LaFleur interviewed at least nine candidates to replace Pettine. According to sources, he interviewed Barry, Leonhard, Jerry Gray (Packers defensive back coach), Chris Kiffin (Browns defensive line coach), Ryan Nielson (Saints defensive line coach / assistant coach). principal), Matt Burke (defensive line / Eagles game coordinator), Chris Harris (Washington defensive defense coach), Ejiro Evero (Rams security coach) and Bob Sutton (Falcons senior assistant).
The Packers will have two new coordinators next season. In addition to the new defensive coordinator, LaFleur promoted Maurice Drayton to lead the special teams after sacking Shawn Mennenga.