Packers head coach Matt LaFleur may need to make a major staff hire this offseason.
That is, if Green Bay manages to strike a deal to keep LaFleur as head coach. But, if LaFleur doesn’t move on, he is likely going to need to find a new defensive coordinator, given that Jeff Hafley is among the most coveted head coaching candidates this hiring cycle.
Packers’ Matt LaFleur’s strategy to replace Jeff Hafley revealed
Now that the Packers have been eliminated from the NFL Playoffs, after losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card, Hafley could be on the move quickly.
Widely viewed as a top candidate for the New York Giants’, Tennessee Titans’, or Cleveland Browns vacancy, Hafley might even be near the top of the candidate lists in Atlanta or Miami, given his track record as a former head coach of the Boston College Eagles and the defenses he’s built for LaFleur in Green Bay, the past two years.
LaFleur, though, says he plans to cast a wide net for Hafley’s replacement.
“I fully anticipate Hafley’s going to do a great job on the interview and I fully anticipate him getting one of these,” LaFleur told reporters Sunday. “I would be so happy for him because he deserves it and he’s a great friend, he’s a great man, he’s a great coach. I’d hate to see him leave, for us, but at the same time, that’s what this business is all about and he’s earned those opps. So I’m excited for him in that regard.”
