Packers' postgame reaction to their 24-21 playoff loss to the 49ers
Columnist Pete Dougherty and host JR Radcliffe discuss the Green Bay Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers Saturday night at Levi's Stadium.
The search is underway for the Green Bay Packers' next defensive coordinator.
The list of potential candidates to replace Joe Barry, who was fired after three seasons in Green Bay, is long.
Jim Leonhard, Al Harris, Ejiro Evero, Don “Wink” Martindale, Chris Harris, Ron Rivera, Leslie Frazier and Brandon Staley are names you'll likely hear in the coming days. Will any of them interview for the position? And will there be any surprise names?
Here's what we know about who is applying for the job based on reports and other news from the NFL coaching carousel for the Packers.
Brandon Staley
The first candidate to interview for the Packers' defensive coordinator position appears to be former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, as first reported by The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman. Staley was fired as head coach of the Chargers one day after his team was blown out by the Las Vegas Raiders, 63-21, in Week 15 last season. This defeat left the score in Los Angeles only 5:9.
Staley became the Chargers' head coach in 2021 and finished with a 24-24 record in less than three full seasons.
After studying under Vic Fangio in Chicago and Denver, Staley quickly rose into the NFL coaching ranks. After just three years as a linebackers coach in the NFL, he became the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. The Rams allowed the fewest points and the fewest total yards and passing yards per game this season at 18.5.
Success didn't show itself as a head coach. The Chargers missed the playoffs in his first year after losing in the final week of the season, a game in which his decision-making was questioned. Los Angeles made the playoffs in 2022, but blew a 27-0 first-half lead in a wild-card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and lost 31-30. Despite high expectations for Staley and the Chargers in 2023, the team fell short. The team's defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in each of its three seasons.
LaFleur got a close look at Staley last season when the Packers beat the Chargers 23-20 at Lambeau Field. Although they haven't trained together, they have a connection to Rams head coach Sean McVay. Both trained under him for a year. Staley is 41 years old.
Christian Parker
One candidate applying for the job who is familiar with the Packers and LaFleur is Christian Parker. The NFL Network was first to report on Parker and the Journal Sentinel was able to confirm the interview.
Parker was the Packers' defensive quality control coach from 2019 to 2020 under former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. He spent the last three years in Denver as the Broncos' defensive line coach. He also remained with the Broncos through two coaching changes, including when former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett took over as head coach in 2022. He has also interviewed for the New England Patriots defensive coordinator position.
Parker is 32 years old.
Aden Durde
The Packers are one of three teams seeking an interview with Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde, ESPN's Todd Archer said, citing his sources. The other two are the Rams and the Atlanta Falcons.
He was with the Cowboys the last three seasons. He previously spent three years with the Atlanta Falcons as defensive quality control coach (2018-19) and outside linebackers coach (2020). Prior to joining the Falcons organization, Durde was head of football development at NFLUK and led the International Player Pathway program.
Durde followed former Falcons coach Dan Quinn to Dallas when he was hired as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator in 2021.
Although Packers fans will remember Jordan Love and Green Bay's defeated offense against Dallas in the playoffs, the Cowboys were among the top-ranked defenses in 2023.
Durde is from north London and grew up playing in the UK. He played six seasons for the now-defunct NFL Europe, winning a championship in the league's final year.
Although he has never been a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he has held the title before. Durde was the defensive coordinator of the British American football club London Warriors for six seasons.
He is 44 years old.
Bobby Babich
Bobby Babich is looking for his first coordinator job.
The Packers are requesting permission to interview the Buffalo Bills' linebackers coach for the defensive coordinator position, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports, citing his sources. Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel confirmed the report.
Garafolo reports that Babich has already interviewed for the defensive coordinator position with the New York Giants.
Babich has been with the Bills since 2017, initially as an assistant defensive backs coach before being promoted to safeties coach. He has been the linebackers coach since 2022.
The Bills have been one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL in recent seasons. Buffalo allowed the fewest total yards and passing yards in 2021. And last season, the Bills defense was in the top 10 in total yards as well as passing yards and points per game. Like Green Bay, Buffalo's season ended last week in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Babich is 40 years old.
According to the report, Joe Barry is interviewing for the position of defensive coordinator for the Eagles and Bears
Barry is wasting no time getting back into coaching.
Although there have been reports that Barry could remain on the Packers' staff, he already appears to be looking for his next move. He is reportedly interviewing with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, two teams in need of a defensive coordinator. Russini was the first to report on the interviews.
Barry was fired four days after the Packers were eliminated from the 2023 playoffs in the divisional round by the San Francisco 49ers.
Barry was unable to turn the team's defense into a top unit in his three years. They have had one of the NFL's worst rush defenses the last two years, including 28th last season.
LaFleur hired him from the Rams after the 2020 season, where he served as an assistant head coach and linebackers coach for four years. The two worked together for a year in Los Angeles in 2017. Barry replaced Mike Pettine, who was a holdover from the previous regime.
Barry is 53 years old and has been the defensive coordinator for three teams (Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and the Packers).