Packers Hire Vince Oghobaase as Jeff Hafley’s Staff Coming Together

Jeff Hafley is bringing his defensive line coach from Boston College, Vince Oghobaase, to the Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers assistant coaches Jason Rebrovich and Ryan Downard have been retained by coach Matt LaFleur and new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and Vince Oghobaase has been selected to help replace Jerry Montgomery as assistant defensive line coach.

The hiring of Oghobaase was reported on Monday night by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The retention of Rebrovich and Downard was first reported by Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com and confirmed to Packer Central by multiple sources.

Hafley was named head coach at Boston College in 2020, and Oghobaase was Hafley’s defensive line coach all four seasons. In fact, Oghobaase was part of the San Francisco 49ers staff with Hafley in 2016 and 2017. Oghobaase was the assistant defensive line coach for those two seasons while Hafley was defensive backs coach.

“I had the opportunity to work with Vince in San Francisco and his knowledge of the game, energy and commitment to the players jumped out to me,” Hafley said upon hiring Oghobaase in 2020. “At Ohio State, he trained under one of the best defensive line coaches in all of football in Larry Johnson and he gained excellent experience the last two seasons at the defensive line coach at UCLA. We are so excited to have Vince join our BC football family.”

Oghobaase was a four-year starter at Duke from 2006 through 2009. At the end of his career, he ranked sixth in program history with 14 sacks and 36.5 tackles for losses. He earned some All-American honors as a senior, then spent some time with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins.

The Houston native was a top recruit coming out of high school. In a surprise, he signed with Duke – a perennially struggling program. Long before he was a standout football player and rising coach, he began building remote-control cars when he was 12.

“It’s called a ‘truggy,’” he told WRAL. “It’s like a buggy and a truck molded together in one. You race them at BMX road racetracks. It’s been my hobby during the summertime.”

For Hafley, here’s how the coaching staff is shaping up:

Defensive line: Rebrovich was hired to coach the outside linebackers in 2022. In 2023, he was given a new title as pass-rush specialist. Presumably, he will continue working with Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness.

Assistant defensive line: Oghobaase will help replace Jerry Montgomery, who initially joined the Packers in 2015. During LaFleur’s tenure, the Packers are last in the NFL in yards allowed per carry. Montgomery has joined the New England Patriots.

Safeties/defensive backs: Downard was part of LaFleur’s original staff in 2019 as assistant defensive backs coach. In 2022, he became safeties coach; in 2023, he was promoted to defensive backs coach.

Cornerbacks: Unknown, with a source saying last year’s defensive passing-game coordinator, Greg Williams, will not be returning to the team.

Linebackers: Kirk Olivadotti, who coached the inside linebackers through LaFleur’s first five seasons, has elected to take a position with new Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, according to Silverstein.

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