Barry appointing, or having a major say in hiring of a subordinate makes sense. The problem isn’t that but the fact that LaFleur retained Barry and LaFleur’s own performance. As long as LaFleur is in place and keeping Barry this type of hire and the process makes sense.

It’s fair to say that that position may not excite some candidates, but that’s because many doubt either Barry or LaFleur or both and thus their longevity and thus it’s a dubious spring board for the next job. That’s the back wash of coaches seen as in the hot seat, and maybe in the last chance saloon. The problem isn’t the process or Barry having input, it’s the LaFleur/Barry problem that overarches it.

I think that the lack of a stampede to be the next Packers CBs coach has as much to do with Joe Barry as anyone or anything else. By now he (Barry) surely must be regarded, league-wise, as an unimpressive DC. So any premium or ambitious CB coach will probably be reluctant to hitch their reputation to his dim star. Also he (Williams) probably came relatively cheap - which seems to be a practice with Packers management. So in short, a typical coaching hire under this regime.

Maybe the Packers were worried that if the Jerry Gray view of coaching for MLF/Joe Barry was known by most that it would lead even unemployed DB coaches to avoid taking the Green Bay job. So they took the first candidate that picked up the phone. At least Williams tick's more of the positive boxes than Joe Barry did when he was interviewed.

I'm not going to dump on the hire until we see the results of it. But I would agree that it has a non-exhaustive and hasty feel to it; something like:

MLF: "Hey, Joe, you know anybody good for this job that's out there?"

Barry: "Yeah, I worked with this guy Williams before and he's okay."

MLF: "Great, then it's settled!"

Losing your mind over the hiring of an assistant coach is equivalent to driving your car into a light pole because your neighbor has a barking dog.

The only one upset is you.

Joseph, many posters here easily understood power scheme that was made by Mark Murphy. And they understand that scheme produce chaos in functioning football operation, especially at coaching level.

I already steted that Packers will not be able to hire any top coach (HC, OC, DC, position coaches) until they will change this structure in place. You have CEO Mark Murphy "we are not idiots" at the top of that scheme he claim that he is not mess with football operation, just recieve briefings every 2 weeks. MLF is subordinate to CEO, BG is subordinate to CEO, Russ Ball is subordinate to CEO and no one keep those 3 silos accountable. Between themselves they can talk, but no one can influence on job of other 2. However, all the main decision is in the responsibility of CEO, who is informed about status of each silo every TWO weeks once.

Would you go to organisation with that kind of structure and would you be sure that you'll be able to do your job on high level? Who is that who is responsible for anything in Packers football organisation?

I don't think the hiring confirms anything. The DB coach hiring should have been a discussion between HC and DC, and what they are trying to accomplish on defense in terms of secondary.

Watching the packers, it seems clear that an imbecile runs the defense. The called plays based on alignment + down and distance are designed to fail. i.e. playing 10 yards off WR when it is shortage for easy pitch and catch for 1st down.

Someone else described Williams as a guy that knows man-to-man, so maybe Barry will call more of it next year instead of what we watched. That's the smaller glimmer of hope.

How often have the Packers made a splash hire in regards to coaching? How far back do you go? LaFleur, McCarthy, Sherman? Not quite. Any of the coordinators in the last 20 years outside of Bissacia? And yet, this long-winded article, on a DB coach? It seems like the Packers didn't pick from your preferred short list, and you're mad about it. Williams has over a decade of coaching experience in the NFL, let's see where it goes. What's unfortunate, his tenure in Green Bay, no matter its length or quality, will be overshadowed by the overall performance of Joe Barry. I suspect a lot of potential candidates for the position took one look at the DC, and structure of the FO, and ran.

Is it possible that the wives and/or families of many candidates prefer not to move to Green Bay? even for a few seasons. I believe that is a factor we should consider when we are trying to identify why a particular coach was or wasn't interviewed or hired for a coaching role with the Packers. Along with coaches not having respect for the current packers coaching staff there are numerous other factors to consider as well but since we don't know the Packers candidate list or their due diligence or hiring processes we'll never really know how or why these choices are made.

I would love to see the results of a 360 degree feedback review of the Packers coaching staff and the FO. In fact I would love to lead the process. I believe that it would be very enlightening and possibly very terrifying.Thanks, Since '61

This move was predictable. Rather than get a top tier DB coach, the Packers had to settle for, at best, a mediocre coach. Why would an excellent coach want to work in Barry's system? They wouldn't, and they didn't. The team chose to get a guy who will follow orders, play a soft zone, and allow his top tier talent to go to waste. There are those who say, "It's players, not schemes that are important." But if your DB's are playing seven yards off the receivers on third and short, it may be time to adjust that thinking. And if the opposing receivers are running free across the middle of the field; there is still confusion among the DB's after ten or twelve games, and the team is losing games to (allegedly) inferior opponents, then something should change. And when the changes were finally made, the results were good.
Williams was on the Cardinals for four years, and their passing defense was terrible. So, the Packers pick him off the scrap heap, get to underpay him, and continue to hamstring their DB's. Just as Barry was picked up off the scrap heap, and is slowly turning what should be an elite defense into a group of guys who are losing interest, and could well start thinking about moving on from Green Bay, and going to a team that is willing to hire elite coaches, even if they cost more.

The one thing I am happy to read about this hire is that he is a press coverage guy. Our DBs play better press than zone and we saw that last year. Now if we can get Berry to change his mind and use press most of the time instead of zone we might have a good defense. I will not hold my breath after all the Packers leadership has shown they are at best slow to make changes. Usually they continue down the same road leading to no where until the fans tell them to change.

My take on this is that the Packers will trade Rodgers( if the darkness tells him to return to football). They will have a good draft and bolster the defense with an Edge and Safety. Gutey has built a solid defense but Barry is surely not the coach to bring out the best in them. Like last year when everyone was thinking the Packers, on paper, had a formidable D, Barry obviously is not the man to bring out the best in them and will have the same lack of communication and soft play again next year. With inexperienced Love at the helm he will have his ups and downs so I expect them to be fighting for a playoff spot and when they fail, MLF will be on the hot seat and either will himself be fired or have to find a new DC. Hopefully its the former cause his selection of coaches really leaves a lot to be desired.

Does it make sense to hire a DB coach who likes press coverage to work under a DC that wants to play soft zone all of the time?

Williams seems quite qualified.
Barry having input is fine.
Williams playing press and coaching LBs in the past is a bonus.