The Green Bay Packers are now interviewing up to six applicants for the position of defensive coordinator after it was revealed on Tuesday that Zach Orr and Dennard Wilson of the Baltimore Ravens would be on the team. Now, the issue is how many more names will be put to the list before the team decides to employ a defensive coordinator, or before a second round of interviews takes place.
Strangely enough, none of the eight defensive coordinator applicants who the Packers supposedly interviewed for the position back in 2021 have apparently been contacted by the team. The other five coaches would be free to interview for the defensive coordinator post with the Packers, however it’s important to note that three of them presently have defensive coordinator roles throughout the league, so those possible interviews may be prevented.
Oddly enough, the Packers don’t seem to have gotten in touch with any of the eight defensive coordinator candidates that they purportedly interviewed for the job back in 2021. The other five coaches are welcome to interview for the position of defensive coordinator with the Packers, but it’s vital to remember that three of them already hold defensive coordinator positions elsewhere in the league, so those interviews might not happen.
The date is January 14, 2012. We are in San Francisco at Candlestick Park. The 49ers need a touchdown with 14 seconds remaining, down three, and facing a third down to maintain their hopes of making the playoffs without having to go to OT. In the meantime, the Saints can draw a conclusion from this and move on to the NFC Championship Game. We need to look back in time to comprehend how we got here and to fully appreciate what this moment signifies.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that Gray recently inked a contract extension with the Falcons, and that he will be kept on by head coach Raheem Morris through the 2024 campaign. With the recent announcement that Jimmy Lake, a former head coach at the University of Washington, will take over as the team’s defensive coordinator, Gray will likely serve as either Morris’ assistant coach or assistant head coach. Although Gray is technically free to interview for Barry’s position, it doesn’t seem likely given that he recently inked a new contract in Atlanta.
Gray played for four seasons in the Pro Bowl as a player and then joined the NFL as a defensive backs coach in the 1990s. In addition, he was the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2005. Gray began working with the Packers in 2020, when Mike Pettine was the defensive coordinator, as a defensive backs coach. For his final two seasons in Green Bay, Gray gained the position of passing game coordinator when Barry was hired as the defensive coordinator in 2021.
