Packers to review wide range of head-coaching candidates, per report

Though the Green Bay Packers’ search for their next head coach likely won’t pick up steam until after the 2018 regular season ends, some of the team’s plans have trickled into the public sphere. According to Pro Football Talk, the Packers will review a wide range of candidates and do not plan to consult with a search firm.

A handful of names have already surfaced in connection with the Packers’ coaching search, with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Oklahoma Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley generating the most attention. A wide-ranging search would logically involve overtures to both as well as candidates that have not garnered as much media buzz. With Aaron Rodgers still in his prime and signed through the 2022 season, Green Bay shouldn’t have much trouble attracting interest.

And how the Packers plan to run their search could make a significant impact on who they ultimately hire. The use of a search firm has become more common in the NFL over recent years, especially among executives hired through the use of such services. The Packers used Jed Hughes of consulting group Korn Ferry when hiring team president and CEO Mark Murphy, the man now in charge of finding recently ousted head coach Mike McCarthy’s replacement, back in 2007. Murphy could have realistically consulted with Hughes for the team’s coaching search but apparently doesn’t plan to do so at this time, suggesting that general manager Brian Gutekunst will have a meaningful voice in the process.

The Packers fired McCarthy hours after their Week 13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, naming Joe Philbin as an interim replacement. Philbin guided Green Bay to a win in his first game at the helm, a 34-20 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons.