The Green Bay Packers signed head coach Matt LaFleur to a contract extension in January, avoiding the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history going into the 2026 NFL season on a contract year. Just a few months later, that decision is looking disastrous.
Green Bay saw its 13-game win streak in its home openers snapped in an embarrassing Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers offense is off to one of its worst starts in more than a decade and a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations appears closer to a rebuild. Even before LaFleur’s extension officially kicks in, calls for a Packers coaching search have already begun.
For this exercise, we are excluding former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Not only has he seemingly expressed happiness working in TV, but his 0-6 playoff record since 2017 likely wouldn’t fix anything for Green Bay. Likewise, Sean McDermott is being skipped over for similar reasons. Let’s dive into our list of Packers coaching candidates.
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator
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Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Brian Flores has served as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator since 2023, turning a bottom-five unit prior to his arrival into one of the league’s best defenses year-to-year. Flores, age 45, has consistently demonstrated the ability to adapt to the changes offensive coordinators make to counteract his blitz-heavy approach and maintained a top-10 defense at a time when there is usually a lot of fluctuation each season.
Flores has gone through multiple NFL coaching carousels and seemingly never been a finalist for a job. That is certainly tied in part to his discrimination suit against the NFL, but it also likely has something to do with a bit of an abrasive personality that has caused some issues with players (Tua Tagovailoa) and some of his peers. While Flores’ stint as the Miami Dolphins head coach delivered a far better record than expected from a rebuilding team, going 24-25 in three seasons, he also had issues finding the right offensive coordinator.
Those are the risks. What also is impossible to ignore is that Flores is one of the league’s best defensive minds. He would inherit a Packers defense that already has perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons along with Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, Brandon Cisse, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper. Hiring the right offensive play-caller would be the big challenge, but he’d be a safe bet to both turn Green Bay’s defense around and bring a more intense culture to the franchise.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish Head Coach
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Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
As of September 2026, there aren’t any ‘blue chip’ NFL coaching candidates in the mold of a Ben Johnson or a Mike Macdonald. If there’s a Packers coaching search, general manager Brian Gutekunst and team president Ed Policy might also not be able to offer the money that a proven head coach (Mike Tomlin or Sean McDermott) might be looking for. It could open the door to Green Bay taking a gamble on a college coach, specifically Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.
Freeman, age 40, has been on the NFL’s radar for a few years now. He replaced Brian Kelly as the Fighting Irish head coach in 2022 and has since delivered three consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, including a College Football Playoff National Championship Game appearance in 2024. The Ohio native has seemed to find his dream job at Notre Dame, but coaching a storied NFL franchise like the Packers could offer him a similar atmosphere while no longer having to deal with the NIL era and transfer portal issues in college.
The obvious gamble, of course, would be the fact that Freeman has no coaching experience whatsoever in the NFL, and the track record of head coaches making the jump from the NCAA to the NFL has been abysmal. With that acknowledged, Freeman is more of a culture-setter and leader than a play-calling maestro, and he does bring qualities that could translate to the highest level.
Anthony Campanile, Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator
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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will be a familiar name to many Packers fans. The 44-year-old defensive play-caller worked in Green Bay on Jeff Hafley’s staff in 2024, serving as run game coordinator and linebackers coach. In his lone season with the team, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper earned PFWA All-Rookie team honors and Quay Walker had his most productive season.
Campanile has also been outstanding upon his arrival in Jacksonville. Prior to him taking over, the Jaguars defense ranked 31st in EPA per Play (0.131) and 26th in Success Rate (45.8%) while allowing the second-highest scoring rate (45.6%) and the second-most yards per drive (36.8) in 2024. In 2025, Campanile’s first year as the Jaguars defensive coordinator, the unit ranked fifth in EPA per Play (-0.079) and ninth in Success Rate (42.5) while surrendering the third-lowest scoring rate (31.2%) and the seventh-fewest yards per drive (27.7), all while generating the second-best takeaway rate (15.6%) in the NFL.
Campanile has worked at both the collegiate and NFL levels since 2016, providing him with an extensive network at both levels to build a potential Packers coaching staff. Given his history with the team, albeit brief, and his proven track record at the highest level, he could be an affordable option for Green Bay if it’s also on the hook for the rest of LaFleur’s deal.
Klayton Adams, Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator
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Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Green Bay’s offense has always been at its best when there’s good pass protection. With the franchise stuck with two bad contracts up front—Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bekwele—one path to overhauling the Packers offensive line might be with a head coach who has an expertise in that area. That’s where Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams could prove attractive to Green Bay.
Adams, age 43, served as an assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts (2019-20) before working with tight ends (2021-22) and then taking over as the Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach under Jonathan Gannon (2023-24). His work in Arizona caught the eye of Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who brought Adams over to Dallas to serve as his offensive coordinator.
While Adams isn’t the play-caller in Dallas, he has proven instrumental in overhauling the ground game. In 2024, the Cowboys ranked 27th in rushing yards per game (100.3), 30th in yards per attempt (4.0) and expected points contributed by rushing (-34.31) while placing 26th in Rush EPA (-0.128). In his first season as offensive coordinator, Dallas improved to 125.6 rushing yards per game (ninth), averaging 4.6 yards per carry (seventh) with a 43.7% Rush Success rate (seventh). He’s an under-the-radar name to consider if Green Bay moves on from LaFleur.
Nathan Scheelhaase, Los Angeles Rams Offensive Coordinator
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Sep 10, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase during practice at Marvel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase began generating some buzz in the 2026 NFL coaching carousel. He made a strong impression on the Pittsburgh Steelers before the team settled on Mike McCarthy, and there was reporting that Sean McVay doesn’t expect to have Scheelhaase around for much longer in Los Angeles.
Turning 36 years old in early November, Scheelhaase earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as quarterback for the Illinois Fighting Illini in 2013 and became an assistant on the coaching staff two years later. After working under Lovie Smith for two seasons, the Iowa native joined the Iowa State Cyclones coaching staff and learned under Matt Campbell (2018-2023), working his way up from running backs coach to wide receivers coach and then run game coordinator (2021-22) before serving as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
With voids to fill on the Rams coaching staff, McVay brought Scheelhaase to Los Angeles to serve as offensive assistant and passing game specialist. He was promoted to pass game coordinator last season and, after receiving head-coaching interviews this spring, McVay promoted him to offensive coordinator to replace Mike LaFleur. Scheelhaase doesn’t have play-calling experience, but he’s an up-and-coming name who Green Bay could take a chance on in 2027.
Grant Udinski, Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator
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Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski facilitates during Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla.
While Liam Coen is the architect of the Jacksonville Jaguars offense and is most credited with the revival of Trevor Lawrence’s career, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is also on the radar of NFL teams. While he’s still just 30 years old, Udinski has been coaching in the NFL since 2020. He first worked as an assistant with the Carolina Panthers (2020-21) before landing with the Minnesota Vikings, learning from head coach Kevin O’Connell while working as an assistant quarterbacks coach and eventually assistant offensive coordinator (2024).
Udinski did get his shot as a play-caller during the preseason, and that came a few months after he was a finalist to become the Cleveland Browns head coach before ultimately withdrawing his name from consideration. If he were to be hired as the next Packers head coach, it stands to reason that he could poach assistants from both Minnesota and Jacksonville to fill out his staff. If Udinski is hired as a head coach in 2027 at 31 years old, he would become one of the youngest coaches in NFL history.