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The Green Bay Packers have a few openings on their coaching staff this offseason. Thanks to the departure of quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo, running backs coach Alex Van Pelt was promoted to QB coach, leaving the running back position in need of an assistant. Also, outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene stepped away to spend more time with his family (or so that's his story). Also, special teams assistant Chad Morton was fired and assistant strength and conditioning coach Zach Woodfin took the head S&C job at UAB this offseason.
As of late this morning, we know who will be taking one of those four open jobs on the Packers' coaching staff, as Pete Roussel (@coachingsearch on Twitter) is reporting that former University of Florida and University of Illinois head coach Ron Zook will be hired by the Packers.
As a former NFL defensive coordinator with the Saints in 2000-2001, there was really only one job opening that at first glance sounded like it would fit for Zook. That was the oustide linebackers spot, and the Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein confirmed with a source that Zook would be taking that job.
#Packers are hiring former Illinois coach Ron Zook to be their OLB coach to replace Kevin Greene, source said.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) February 7, 2014
UPDATE: According to Silverstein, Zook is definitely being hired by the Packers, but he will not be the outside linebackers coach after all. He will instead be the Packers' assistant special teams coach, which makes much of the last several paragraphs (and the headline of this article) moot.
One of Zook's best qualities in the college game was his ability as a recruiter. He brought in a substantial amount of top-level talent to Florida, but his teams struggled with him as the head coach. He had a similar tenure at Illinois, and the program's best season under Zook was a 9-4 year including a Rose Bowl berth in 2007.
