What if Packers coach Mike McCarthy goes out like Bo Ryan?

Who would you want to replace Packers coach Mike McCarthy if he announced tomorrow that 2015 will be his final season?

Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan announced on Monday that the 2015-16 season will be his last. Assistant coach Greg Gard seems to have a good shot at replacing Ryan. Then again, the Badgers could opt for someone like Tony Bennett in Virginia or UNI's Ben Jacobson.

Either way, speculation on who will replace Ryan kicked into full gear merely seconds after Ryan made his announcement. A few gullible folks even fell for the joke that Minnesota Gophers coach Richard Pitino is being considered. 

If Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy announced later today that the 2015 season would be his last, who would be the first person that popped into your mind as a possible replacement?

You could go the big name route and see if dropping a hellicopter full of money on Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden might bring them to Green Bay. A move like that would generate plenty of headlines, but it doesn't seem like something Ted Thompson or Mark Murphy would do.

Bringing in a big name from the college ranks would also create plenty of splash. Can you picture Nick Saban or Urban Meyer roaming the same sideline once occupied by Lombardi, Homgren and McCarthy?

How about Brad Childress? You're one of the saps who bought the Pitino-to-the-Badgers tongue-in-cheek "report" if you think that'll ever happen.

In all liklihood, if McCarthy did announce he was stepping down in a year, the Packers would probably turn to an under-the-radar assistant already on their coaching roster, or an assistant tucked away in obscurity on another coaching staff. I've got no inside info and no way to prove that my hunch is correct, it just seems like that's what Thompson and the Packers' brass would do.

No pomp. No circumstance. No big ordeal. Just find a good coach and bring him in, regardless of national recognition.

Of course, being nationally recognized doesn't automatically disqualify you from also being a good coach. If someonelike Cowher or Saban was hired, it's not fair to assume the Packers went for name recogntion over football acumen.

Thankfully, it doesn't appear that McCarthy will be pulling a Bo Ryan anytime soon. He should be around for a while to orchestrate one of the league's best offenses, oversee a perrenial Super Bowl contender and give us bloggers and those who lurk in the comments sections of the blog posts we write plenty of fodder to bitch & moan about on the rare ocassions when the Packers don't come away with a win.

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Comments (33)

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

June 30, 2015 at 07:21 am

Happily I don't think Mac's going anywhere either. But if he did leave early, I trust Ted to do an outstanding job picking his successor.

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Tundraboy's picture

June 30, 2015 at 10:39 am

No doubt about that.

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Nerd's picture

July 01, 2015 at 03:30 pm

Edgar Bennet will be ready in two years.

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vagem55's picture

June 30, 2015 at 07:29 am

Okay, I'll play 'dead time' with you. My vote goes to Joe Philbin.

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Evan's picture

June 30, 2015 at 07:52 am

Edgar Bennett.

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RCPackerFan's picture

June 30, 2015 at 08:34 am

That would be my choice as well.

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adambrymer's picture

June 30, 2015 at 09:11 am

agreed. first name i thought of.

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Nerd's picture

July 01, 2015 at 03:31 pm

They're definitely grooming him.

Hope he has a good relationship with Elliot Wolf.

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

June 30, 2015 at 08:03 am

I think its not over but some good choices already. To me the run is just beginning at least I sure hope it is.

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dobber's picture

June 30, 2015 at 08:11 am

I think they pick someone who has a track record of developing and working with good QBs. Could be a Darrell Bevell?

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vagem55's picture

June 30, 2015 at 08:51 am

Bevell hit a homer with help in selecting and coaching Wilson. Not so sure how he affected Favre and Jackson, etc. with Queens & Hawks.

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efox2011's picture

June 30, 2015 at 10:15 am

The Bennett choice is a good one, the FO clearly likes him. Plus, they would not necessarily look for a sea-change in the organization. They wouldn't want to overhaul the offense, they wouldn't want someone who would covert the defense to a 4-3. Gruden has been out of the game too long, and I think he's a bit overrated as a coach. If they wanted to change things up a little bit, keeping in mind that every single coaching candidate out there would want this job above all others, I could see Josh McDaniels being the guy, Pep Hamilton (hopefully not him), maybe Greg Roman. I'm not sure any of those guys have the makings of a great head coach, but they are offense guys and could be in high-demand for HC jobs.

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senor embalador's picture

June 30, 2015 at 10:26 am

"...bitch & moan about on the rare ocassions when the Packers don't come away with a win."

So you're talking about playoff games, then.

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senor embalador's picture

June 30, 2015 at 10:27 am

Carroll.
Harbaugh.
Please.

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Tundraboy's picture

June 30, 2015 at 10:44 am

Those are some play card(s) in the photo, Wonder what this year will bring?, Less?, More? As long as everyone is on the same page and MM is on top of everything, it should be a good thing.

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Paul Griese's picture

June 30, 2015 at 11:02 am

In keeping with the gag. Mike Zimmer!

In a real-ish scenario, if McCarthy was unable to coach, I'd go with maybe Dom Capers as interim and here's why: he's kind of 2nd in charge quietly and pretty much independently coordinating the defense, and it would not upset the order or continuity of the offensive staff. How do you make an assistant the head and leapfrog Clements? I don't think Clements would make a good HC.

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Evan's picture

June 30, 2015 at 12:14 pm

Isn't Winston Moss the official assistant head coach or something?

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NickPerry's picture

June 30, 2015 at 09:11 pm

Yup and he coaches ILB right? That makes Moss kinda of a scary choice.

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Packer_Pete's picture

June 30, 2015 at 11:16 am

John Madden as coach, Mike Holmgren as OC, and Dick LeBeau as DC

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Evan's picture

June 30, 2015 at 02:35 pm

Speaking of Winston Moss, it would be interesting to see the Packers with a defensive minded head coach. Outside of 1 year of Ray Rhodes, has it really been 45 straight years of an offensive HC? Phil Bengtson is the last one I can find. Lombardi's defensive coordinator and successor. 1968-70.

Devine.
Starr.
Gregg.
Infante.
Holmgren.
Sherman.
McCarthy.

All offensive backgrounds.

I also love that the Packers have had as many head coaches in the last 5 decades as some teams have had since 2000.

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marpag's picture

June 30, 2015 at 02:27 pm

I like to speculate as much as the next guy. Well, actually I don't, but still... I don't think any of us can truly know who would be a good HC unless we are privy to how that guy manages his business on the practice field and in the meeting room. I know nothing about that, and I don't think many of us do.

Let's face it: virtually every name on the annual list of "hot coaching prospects" is there for only one reason... because their team has performed well in the past few years and put up great looking stats. But I would argue that this is in fact a very, very poor indicator of future coaching success.

Right now, a lot of people are hot for Denver OC Adam Gase. But c'mon, I think we all know that Denver's recent success on offense is REALLY due to Peyton Manning. I'm not saying that Gase sucks, but he could be great or he could be crap. I don't know. But he's on the "hot list" because Peyton Manning blew up the record book for QB stats in Denver. If Gase goes to Cleveland, Peyton Manning won't be there.

Want another example? Mike McCarthy. Prior to joining the Packers, OC Mike McCarthy lead some very pedestrian offensive attacks. But that will happen when your QBs are Elvis Grbac, Steve Bono, Aaron Brooks and a rookie named Alex Smith. McCarthy has proven to be a very good coach, but I don't think many of us knew that when he was hired, because all we were able to see were stats.

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Since'61's picture

June 30, 2015 at 02:34 pm

Except for the '99 season we've had a coach named Mike since '92. So find someone named Mike and give him the job. Thanks, Since '61

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Tundraboy's picture

June 30, 2015 at 02:40 pm

Good one. Thumbs up.

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marpag's picture

June 30, 2015 at 02:56 pm

LOL. Mike Pettine will probably be available soon. Interested? Mike Tice, maybe?

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adamczech's picture

June 30, 2015 at 03:47 pm

What name would you prefer? Mike is a pretty solid name for a football coach. Right up there with Joe, Dan and John.

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marpag's picture

June 30, 2015 at 05:51 pm

I'm not knocking any of your choices. I would definitely add "Bill" though. (Walsh, Parcells, Belichick, Cowher are a pretty decent group).

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Tundraboy's picture

June 30, 2015 at 06:37 pm

Tom. Landry, Coughlin

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NickPerry's picture

June 30, 2015 at 09:09 pm

What about Joe Whitt? Granted he hasn't been a D-Cord. or anything I like what he's always been able to do with the Packers CB. If one was hired from within then I'd say Whitt for sure.

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zeke's picture

July 01, 2015 at 01:55 am

Bingo. Or they bring back Ben McAdoo.

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Ferrari Driveer's picture

July 01, 2015 at 02:06 am

During the interview process when McCarthy was hired, I liked Sean Payton first and McCarthy second. Glad TT picked McCarthy.

Payton wanted the GB job then, if possible, I would still want him if McCarthy left.

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California Packer's picture

July 01, 2015 at 10:29 pm

1) Good ridance Mike. You remind me of several other failed HC's who can get there but couldn't win the big one. 2) Please, no D-coaches. Many have tried but very few win games. They do not see the game with an O-type background, and we have the best QB in the game who is now 31 and we cant afford to squander more opportunities. 3) Go get coach 'chin,' Bill Cowher is the best out there and a proven winner. He has climbed the mountain and knows what it takes to make a team complete. We find and develope great talent that leaves GB and immediately starts for other teams. The issue isn't our players its coaching that has let us down and until we change that we will be on the short end.

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zeke's picture

July 02, 2015 at 06:32 am

Former defensive coordinator Bill Cowher, with exactly the same number of SB victories as McCarthy.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

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Idiot Fan's picture

July 02, 2015 at 03:34 pm

+100000 Internet points for the Simpsons quote!

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