Matt LaFleur reveals one Jonathan Gannon quality that’s already standing out inside Packers organization
The new defensive coordinator has a tough task to replace Jeff Hafley, but he’s experienced enough to do a good job in Green Bay.
It wasn’t easy to see Jeff Hafley go. After some tough experiences at defensive coordinator with Mike Pettine and Joe Barry, the Green Bay Packers had finally found an answer for the spot. Now, though, head coach Matt LaFleur is hopeful that former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon might keep the good job. And potentially elevate it.
So far, so good. After the offseason program, LaFleur praised Gannon’s ability to build his defense based on what the opposing offense is showing. And that’s his biggest calling card since his days as a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He’s been awesome, man,” LaFleur said. “He’s been awesome, great energy every day. I think he’s really intelligent. He understands why teams are doing what they’re doing, and he’s got counters for everything. So, really excited about him.”
More than just a defensive coordinator
Jeff Hafley had some head coaching experience, but it was at Boston College. With Gannon, the Packers will have a former NFL head coach as the defensive coordinator for the first time since Pettine. And that’s helpful, especially after the Packers lost an experienced special teams coordinator and assistant head coach in Rich Bisaccia.
“First and foremost, he sat in the [head coach] chair, so that’s always good to have somebody that you know you can bounce ideas off of,” LaFleur added. “He understands where you’re coming from from a holistic team approach, and he just does a great job.”
Gannon’s varied background as an NFL coach also helps. Since he entered the league back in 2007, he’s worked under head coaches Bobby Petrino, Mike Munchak, Mike Zimmer, Frank Reich, and Nick Sirianni.
It’s usual for NFL head coaches to hire assistants from the same coaching tree or with personal connections. The fact that LaFleur went through a different path to add the best possible candidate is a promising process for the Packers, and the organization hopes the results will follow.