If Packers Fire Joe Barry, Here Are 13 Defensive Coordinator Candidates

Following his defense’s dismal performance against the Buccaneers, Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is on the hottest of seats. If Matt LaFleur makes a change at the end of the season, here’s a list of potential candidates.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is sticking with defensive coordinator Joe Barry. For now, anyway.

When the season is over – perhaps in three more weeks if Barry can’t find some quick solutions after his unit was tormented by the Giants’ Tommy DeVito and the Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield the past two games – LaFleur might be on the market for his third defensive coordinator in five years.

Don’t get too hung up on 3-4 vs. 4-3 as base defense. To simplify, the NFL’s universal base defense is nickel, which is four on the line, two linebackers and five defensive backs. Moreover, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness have the size and power to transition from outside linebacker to defensive end.

Here are 13 potential candidates, including four with NFL coordinator experience.

Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers

If Evero doesn’t get the head-coaching gig in Carolina following the firing of Frank Reich, he’ll likely be looking for a new job. He’d probably be intrigued by Green Bay’s talent. Given Evero’s history in the scheme, LaFleur probably would be happy to not have to start from scratch on defense.

“We want to play with great energy,” Evero said while with Denver. “When people put our tape on, I want them to see a defense that’s playing fast, playing aggressive, playing physical and flying around to the ball. We’ve got to be attacking the ball and that’s going to be a point of emphasis. We also want to be situational masters – third down, red zone, 2-minute. We want to own and dominate those situations.”

Click here for more on Evero.

Jim Leonhard, former defensive coordinator, Wisconsin Badgers

Leonhard, the Wisconsin native and former Wisconsin star, was the man behind some powerhouse defenses with the Badgers. When LaFleur was looking to replace Mike Pettine after the 2020 season, Leonhard was offered the job but turned it down due to his love for his alma mater.

Would Leonhard, who was passed over for the head job at Wisconsin that went to Luke Fickell a year ago, answer the call? Is he content in the more low-key, low-pressure role of senior analyst at Illinois? Would he rather not uproot his family; he’s married with three kids? And would LaFleur even bother circling back after being spurned once?

Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator, New York Giants

Martindale might be out in New York due to some butting of heads with coach Brian Daboll. If that happens, Martindale will be a man in demand. In four seasons as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, he fielded defenses that ranked first, first and sixth in points allowed and first, fourth and seventh in total defense.

This year, the Giants are 25th in points allowed and 24th in total defense but eighth on third down. Only the Vikings blitz more frequently. His base defense is 3-4.

“Coach Martindale’s a guy that I’ve had experience going against quite a few times when he was in Baltimore,” LaFleur said before losing to the Giants a couple weeks ago. “He kicked the crap out of us when I was in Tennessee and he was in Baltimore. That was a humbling day.

“He’s a guy that he does a great job just putting people in position and he presents a lot of different challenges for an offense and I got a ton of respect for what he’s capable of doing and what he’s done over the course of his career.”

Joe Whitt, secondary/defensive passing-game coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Whitt’s time to become a coordinator has arrived. He spent a decade in Green Bay, with the Packers ranking first in interceptions, seventh in completion percentage and ninth in opponent passer rating during his tenure.

In three seasons as Dallas’ defensive passing-game coordinator, the Cowboys are third in opponent rating, third in opponent completion percentage and first in interceptions. This year, even with Trevon Diggs lost to a torn ACL, Dallas is No. 6 in opponent passer rating. DaRon Bland, a fifth-round pick last year, leads the NFL with eight interceptions and five pick-sixes.

He’s coached under Dom Capers’ 3-4 and Dan Quinn’s 4-3.

Al Harris, defensive backs coach, Dallas Cowboys

Harris was a premier corner for the Packers from 2003 through 2009, earning Pro Bowl honors twice and grabbing 14 interceptions during those seven seasons. He’s got a decade’s worth of coaching experience under his belt and was a factor in the Chiefs boasting a series of top-10 defenses and the rise of the ballhawking Cowboys secondary.

This year, even without the All-Pro Diggs, Dallas is fifth in interception percentage and ninth in yards per attempt.

Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach, San Francisco 49ers

A second-round pick in the 2006 draft, he is in his seventh season on the 49ers’ staff. After coaching the safeties the past four seasons, he’s in his first year as defensive backs coach. The Niners finished ninth in points allowed in 2021, first in in 2022 and are second in 2023. Keyed by the development of safety Talanoa Hufanga, the Niners led the league in interceptions in 2022. This year, they’re fourth in opponent passer rating.

The 49ers’ base defense is 4-3.

Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach, Detroit Lions

Sheppard started 63 games at linebacker from 2011 through 2018. He is in his third season on coach Dan Campbell’s staff with the Lions and is viewed as a rising star in the profession.

“The more we put on Shep, the more he answers the call,” Campbell said this past offseason. “He’s developing as a coach. We see growth, no different than the players. You want to see growth from your coaches. And so, AG [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn] and I talked, and we felt like it was time to put more on him, especially this year.”

The Lions under Glenn operate out of a 4-3.

Antonio Pierce, interim head coach, Las Vegas Raiders

Pierce started 94 games at linebacker from 2001 through 2009 for Washington and the Giants. Pierce was defensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2021 before being named Raiders linebackers coach in 2022. This year, he was promoted to interim head coach and has led the team to a 3-3 mark. He’ll be a candidate for the full-time job.

The Raiders’ base defense is 4-3.

Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders

Graham was the Packers’ linebackers coach and defensive run-game coordinator in 2018, when they finished 13th with 4.3 yards allowed per carry. While that might not seem great, the Packers have allowed league-worst 4.7 yards per carry from 2019 through 2023.

Graham is in his fifth season as a coordinator, with one year in Miami, two with the Giants and now two with the Raiders. This year’s team ranks ninth in points allowed.

Graham’s base defense with the Giants was 3-4; it’s 4-3 with the Raiders. That blending of styles if the way of Bill Belichick, for whom Graham worked under for seven seasons. “You say 4-3, 3-4, 2-4, 3-3-5, whatever you want to say, I’ll say yes,” Graham said when introduced in Las Vegas in 2022.

Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach, Miami Dolphins

Campanile is in his fourth season on the job, with the Dolphins ranking 10th with 4.2 yards allowed per carry during that span. This year, they’re fifth with 3.72 yards allowed per carry, a key reason why they have a two-game lead in the AFC East.

Starting with an ode to Vince Lombardi, this profanity-laced clip from “Hard Knocks” personifies his approach. “All over the world, they speak ass whopping.”

The Dolphins’ defensive coordinator is the esteemed Vic Fangio. Thus, Campanile wouldn’t be making enormous schematic changes.

Chris Harris, defensive passing-game coordinator, Titans

In eight seasons as a safety, Harris started 88 games and intercepted 16 passes and forced 13 fumbles. He’s been coaching for the last decade, including 2020 through 2022 as defensive backs coach in Washington. The Titans are only 27th in opponent passer rating in his debut season. He interviewed for the Packers’ coordinator vacancy in 2021 and for the 49ers’ coordinator gig in 2023.

Harris has worked under 4-3 and 3-4 schemes; with Tennessee, base is 4-3.

Aubrey Pleasant, defensive passing-game coordinator, Rams

Pleasant spent the end of last season as a coaching consultant for LaFleur.

“He’s a really knowledgeable guy when it comes to the game, and I thought he could bring a different perspective to our offensive staff just seeing it through the lens of a defensive coach,” LaFleur said at the time. “He’s a guy that I’ve always really respected how he works. I think that perspective has been helpful, not only game-planning but also to really see ourselves, how a defensive coach might break us down and see us, so we, hopefully, can stay as unpredictable as possible.”

Pleasant, who was starting safety for Wisconsin in 2008, was the Rams’ cornerbacks coach from 2017 through 2020. During that span, his group ranked second in interceptions. This year, the Rams are 13th in opponent passer rating.

Most of Pleasant’s experience is in a 3-4 scheme.

Joe Cullen, defensive line coach, Chiefs

Cullen was defensive coordinator for the Jaguars in 2021, with that group ranking 28th in points allowed and 20th in total defense. That’s not very good, but it was 31st in both categories in 2020. As part of Steve Spanguolo’s defensive staff, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2022 and are third in points allowed and fourth in total defense in 2023.

With a base 4-3 defense, the Chiefs are fifth in blitz rate.

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