Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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LaFleur's offensive ingenuity is what won over the Packers' brass when the 40-year-old native of Mount Pleasant, Mich., was named the 15th head coach of the Packers on Jan. 8, 2019.
That has come as advertised. With LaFleur calling plays, the Packers' offense currently leads the NFL in scoring (31.5 points per game), third-down efficiency (49.7%) and red-zone, or gold-zone, offense (77.1%).
However, what's gone largely understated is how LaFleur has pushed the right buttons when it comes to training his football team and developing a healthy culture in the locker room.
From the beginning, LaFleur went against age-old coaching norms and curtailed long training-camp practices. Instead, he's stressed the importance of preparation in the classroom. Even in Week 15, he has no qualms about swapping out an in-season practice for a walkthrough, like he did Wednesday, with the Packers operating on a short week.
When the Packers hit a funk in 2019, LaFleur formed a leadership council with players that continues to meet on a weekly basis. That group took on even more responsibility in June, when it collaborated on a video calling for social-justice reform after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.
LaFleur also was proactive in developing the vision for the team's virtual offseason program after the COVID-19 pandemic closed team facilities throughout the spring and summer, enabling the team to hit the ground running during its first practice on Aug. 15.
"He's done a great job of bringing a lot of people together, both from the coaching standpoint to the players and how everybody's meshed," offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett sad. "I think he's amazing. He should get that (coach of the year) award. I mean, for what has gone on these past two years, it's unbelievable. And the confidence he's instilled in so many people is great, how he lets us be us and be able to coach and work with the guys is awesome."
Hackett was one of the coaches LaFleur deputized to formulate a plan for how the team would handle offseason Zoom meetings. LaFleur also empowered his second-year coordinator to bring flare to the offensive meeting room.