Packers are targeting Shawn Mennenga for special teams coordinator, per report

With the position coaches finally all in place, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur appears to be zeroing in on a new special teams coordinator to replace Ron Zook. According to Tom Silverstein of Packersnews.com, the Packers’ top candidate at this time is current Vanderbilt special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga, who recently interviewed for the job.

Mennenga has spent one year at Vanderbilt in that position, working under head coach Derek Mason as the Commodores went 6-7. The kicking game at Vanderbilt was inconsistent, as first-year kicker Riley Guay made just 13 of his 22 field goal attempts. However, senior punter Parker Thome averaged 44.9 yards per punt (gross), a better result.

Prior to last season, Mennenga worked for the Cleveland Browns as an assistant special teams coach for seven seasons. Two of those years came with current Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as the Browns’ head coach and defensive back Tramon Williams on the roster. The special teams units Mennenga worked on were largely effective, particularly before Hue Jackson arrived in Cleveland; the Browns ranked no lower than 15th in special teams DVOA from 2011 to 2015 and placed as high as second in 2012, before ranking 26th and 27th in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Mennenga also has experience as a defensive coordinator and head coach in the lower levels of college football. Stay tuned for more updates on Mennenga and his potential hire in the coming days.