LaFleur Hires Former Packers WR To Fill New Coaching Fellowship

The NFL on Tuesday announced the creation of a coaching fellowship program geared toward minority candidates.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – As part of new procedures in diversity, equity and inclusion that were adopted by NFL clubs on Tuesday, each team can create a coaching fellowship program geared toward minority candidates.

For Green Bay, that’s Ruvell Martin, a former receiver for the Packers and a former college teammate of coach Matt LaFleur.

“(Packers President) Mark (Murphy) came to me with this a while ago and asked me if that’s something that we’d be interested in doing. I said, ‘Heck, yeah,’” LaFleur said on Friday. “He and I were roommates my last year playing at Saginaw Valley. He was my roommate for all three years that we were together on the road. So, I’ve had a long relationship with him. I’ve always thought a lot about him not only as a player but as a person, first and foremost. He’s been pretty successful outside of the football world, and I just think he’s got such a dynamic personality. I think he’s an unbelievable communicator.”

Martin spent the 2006 through 2008 seasons with the Packers, catching 52 passes and scoring six touchdowns during that span. That represented the bulk of his career totals of 76 receptions for 1,129 yards and seven touchdowns in seven seasons.

LaFleur announced the hiring on May 6. Martin will work with the offense and assist with the wide receivers during his yearlong fellowship

“He’s been a guy that I’ve been trying to get into the coaching business for a while, and he finally thought the timing was right for him and his family,” LaFleur said. “I’m just really excited to get him back up to Green Bay. I know they’re going to be moving up here in about a month. They’ve already got a house and they’re ecstatic.”

The fellowships are full-time positions, ranging from one to two years. The programs are meant to provide former players, minorities and female participants with hands-on training in NFL coaching, with the long-term goal of identifying and developing candidates for full-time coaching positions.

The fellowships are part of wide-ranging steps to increase employment opportunities and advancement for minorities and women across the league.

“We believe these new policies demonstrate the NFL owners’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the NFL,” said Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman of the Workplace Diversity Committee. “The development of young coaches and young executives is a key to our future. These steps will assure coaching and football personnel are afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to advance throughout our football operations. We also have taken important steps to ensure that our front offices, which represent our clubs in so many different ways, come to reflect the true diversity of our fans and our country.”

Clubs will be required to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coach vacancies, at least one minority candidate for any of the three coordinator vacancies, and at least one external minority candidate for the senior football operations or general manager position.

Clubs must include minorities and/or female applicants in the interview processes for senior-level front-office positions such as club president and senior executives in communications, finance, human resources, legal, football operations, sales, marketing, sponsorship, information technology and security positions. The league office will also adhere to these requirements.

“While we have seen positive strides in our coaching ranks over the years aided by the Rooney Rule, we recognize, after the last two seasons, that we can and must do more,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “The policy changes made today are bold and demonstrate the commitment of our ownership to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the league.”

In a big step for position coaches, teams no longer can block assistants from interviewing for coordinator positions. Previously, going from position coach to coordinator was deemed a parallel move rather than a promotion. For instance, former Packers coach Mike McCarthy blocked Joe Whitt and Alex Van Pelt from interviewing for coordinator posts.