Green Bay Packers Offer Head Coaching Job To LaFleur: Report

GREEN BAY, WI -- It appears that the Green Bay Packers have found their next head football coach.

According to an ESPN report late Monday, sources say the Packers will hire Matt LaFleur. LaFleur, 39, a native of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, is said to be the quarterback guru the team was looking for.

According to the report, of note to Packers president Mark Murphy and General Manager Brian Gutekunst was his ability to find success with quarterback Matt Ryan in Atlanta and Jared Goff with the Rams.

The big question is whether he can get the Packers offense, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, on the same page and back into the playoffs.

In 2016, the Falcons went to the Super Bowl, and Ryan won the Most Valuable Player award with LaFleur as his coach. A year later with the Rams, LaFleur worked closely with Goff as the team won seven more games and led the league in scoring. In those two seasons, LaFleur worked under both Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta, and Sean McVay - widely considered to be two of the leading offensive coaches in the NFL.

In 2018 LaFleur jumped to Tennessee where he was given the reigns to coach the Titans offense and call the plays - the first time he was able to do so during his NFL coaching career. With an injured Marcus Mariota and healthy Blaine Gabbert at quarterback, the team struggled to score points and pass the ball, but were seventh in the league in rushing and won nine games.

LaFleur is expected to replace former coach Mike McCarthy who compiled a 135-85-2 record across 13 seasons and several playoff runs, including one Super Bowl victory.

If there are any concerns about LaFleur's apparent lack of NFL coaching experience, one need only be reminded of several Packer coaching hires before him, including McCarthy, Mike Sherman and Mike Holmgren - all of which were offensively-minded coordinators with four or fewer years of experience:

• LaFleur, 39, one year of full offensive coordinator experience in Tennessee.
• Mike McCarthy, 43, one year coordinating the San Francisco 49ers offense, three with New Orleans.
• Mike Sherman, 46, one year coordinating the Seattle Seahawks offense.

• Mike Holmgren, 44, three years coordinating the San Francisco 49ers offense.

The Packers interviewed 10 coaches for the job, including: Philbin, Jim Caldwell, Chuck Pagano, Josh McDaniels, Brian Flores, Pete Carmichael, Jr., Dan Campbell, Todd Monken and Adam Gase.

Matt Lafleur's coaching resume:

2003: Saginaw Valley State Offensive assistant
2004-05: Central Michigan Offensive assistant
2006: Northern Michigan Quarterbacks coach & wide receivers coach
2007: Ashland Offensive coordinator
2008-09: Houston Texans Offensive quality control coach
2010-13: Washington Redskins Quarterbacks coach
2014: Notre Dame Quarterbacks coach
2015-16: Atlanta Falcons Quarterbacks coach
2017: Los Angeles Rams Offensive coordinator
2018:Tennessee Titans Offensive coordinator
2019: Green Bay Packers Head coach

According to reports, LaFleur expects to keep Mike Pettine as the team's defensive coordinator and keep Joe Philbin to guide the team's offense.

Photo Credit: Matt LaFleur of the Houston Texans poses for his 2008 NFL headshot at photo day in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Getty Images)