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The Packers are adding Will Smart to their defensive coaching staff
The Green Bay Packers haven’t had the busiest start to the offseason across the NFL, but it’s clear the team is acting with a sense of urgency. This is especially true when it comes to the makeup of head coach Matt LaFleur‘s coaching staff, as he’s been forced to switch things up after losing his defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, to the Miami Dolphins‘ head coach opening.
Replacing Hafley as the team’s defensive coordinator is former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who has quickly moved to bring in some new faces for his defensive coaching staff. The additions just keep on coming for Gannon, as the team has now hired a young coach whose career as a college football player came to an end just two years ago.
Packers Hire Former Vanderbilt Commodores Assistant Coach Will Smart
LaFleur’s future with the Packers was the subject of some speculation late in the 2025 campaign, but that was quickly put to rest, as he was handed a new contract earlier this offseason. Expectations are heightened for Green Bay moving forward, though, and LaFleur seems to be aware that the team’s shortcomings in past seasons won’t cut it moving forward.
Losing Hafley to the Dolphins was a big blow, considering what he was able to do with the unit during his two seasons in charge of it, but Gannon is a shrewd hire to replace him. While his stint with the Cardinals as their head coach didn’t exactly go according to plan, Gannon initially turned himself into such a highly-touted head coach candidate during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles as their defensive coordinator.
Now, Gannon will look to build himself back up with the Packers, and he’s been given the freedom to add several of his own defensive assistants to his staff. The latest addition is Will Smart, whose playing career was cut short due to injuries. After spending the 2025 campaign with the Vanderbilt Commodores as a pass rush specialist, Smart will be joining Green Bay’s coaching staff in a defensive role.
“Will Smart, who just earlier this decade wrapped up his collegiate playing career at Wake Forest, is headed to the NFL after just two seasons as a college assistant coach,” John Brice of Football Scoop reported. “Smart, who first served as a graduate assistant under Dave Clawson at his alma mater and then spent the 2025 season on Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt Commodores staff, is going to the NFL to join the defensive staff of the Green Bay Packers.”
Packers Set to Turn Attention to Free Agency
Matt LaFleur Green Bay Packers
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Head coach Matt Lafleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
With LaFleur’s coaching staff continuing to come together, the Packers will soon turn their attention to free agency and the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. While having a top-notch coaching staff is important, the most important part of the offseason will involve Green Bay finding a way to make upgrades across its roster.
For the most part, the Packers’ defense was leading the charge last season, so the hope is that Gannon can come in and pick up right where Hafley left off. That’s obviously going to be easier said than done, as it takes a while for everyone to adapt to these sorts of changes. And yet, if all goes according to plan, Green Bay could be a dark horse Super Bowl contender when it returns to action next season.