Packers Announce Several Offensive Coaching Changes
Edagar Bennett will become wide receivers coach while Jerry Fontenot will take Bennett's place coaching running backs, along with a few other moves.
By PackerAaron
The Packers have announced several coaching changes. From the team:
The Green Bay Packers have named Edgar Bennett wide receivers coach, Jerry Fontenot running backs coach, Joel Hilgenberg offensive quality control coach, and John Rushing assistant wide receivers/special teams coach. Head Coach Mike McCarthy made the announcement Friday.
Bennett will be entering his seventh season on Green Bay’s coaching staff, having tutored the team’s running backs from 2005-10. He oversaw the development of Ryan Grant, who became just the third running back in team history to eclipse the 1,200-yard mark in back-to-back seasons (2008-09). Prior to that, Bennett spent four seasons (2001-04) as the Packers’ director of player development. A fourth-round selection of Green Bay in 1992 out of Florida State, Bennett ranks No. 10 in team history with 3,353 rushing yards over five seasons (1992-96) and continues to hold the franchise’s single-season record for receptions by a running back with 78, set in 1994.
Fontenot will be entering his sixth season on the Packers’ coaching staff in 2011. He began his tenure in Green Bay as a coaching intern in the summer of 2006 and remained with the team throughout that season to assist with the offensive line. In 2007, Fontenot was promoted to assistant offensive line coach, a position he held the past four seasons (2007-10) as he aided in the development of several young linemen. A longtime center, Fontenot played in 239 games with Chicago, New Orleans and Cincinnati during his 16-year NFL career (1989-2004). He was a third-round draft choice by the Bears in ’89 out of Texas A&M, where he earned all-conference honors three times.
Hilgenberg worked as a coaching intern for the Packers during training camp, mini-camp and a portion of OTAs in 2010, assisting offensive line coach James Campen and Fontenot. He played in 142 games as a center/guard during his 10-year NFL career (1984-93) with the New Orleans Saints. Hilgenberg earned Pro Bowl recognition in 1992 and was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2006. A fourth-round selection by the Saints in 1984, he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at the University of Iowa and earned second-team All-America honors in 1983.
Rushing spent the past two seasons as Green Bay’s offensive quality control coach, his first foray into the NFL after 13 years in the college coaching ranks. He worked with the Packers during training camp in 2008 through the NFL’s Minority Coaching Internship Program before being named to the quality control position in February 2009. Rushing came to Green Bay from Utah State, where he spent six seasons (2003-08) coaching defensive backs. He coached the secondary at Montana State (2000-02) and Willamette University (1996-97) and also served as a graduate assistant coach for the secondary at Boise State for two seasons (1998-99). As a player, Rushing started all four years at defensive back for Washington State (1991-94).
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Comments (13)
February 25, 2011 at 02:57 pm
This is all well and good but will the Pack clean up the special teams mess.
February 25, 2011 at 03:12 pm
I love Edgar and I trust MM and TT, but the thought that keeps popping into my head is, "does EB know anything about being a wide receiver?" But hey, if the Eagles can make their Oline coach into a defensive coordinator, then this is surely possible.
February 25, 2011 at 03:22 pm
Good question. At least Edgar was a good receiver out of the backfield, so he knows the fundamentals regarding route-running and catching technique.
February 25, 2011 at 04:13 pm
Maybe he can teach them to hold on to the ball better. I sure like the stickiness of our RBs last year. Must think that EB had something to do with it.
February 25, 2011 at 03:17 pm
I admit to not knowing a damn thing about how the coaching tree works, but taking a former running back who has done a great job coaching running backs and making him wide receivers coach seems odd.
February 25, 2011 at 03:29 pm
I agree. Though, like most things, I trust Mike and Ted.
I wonder if there is much precedent for stuff like this - a former player coaching a position other than the one he played.
February 25, 2011 at 05:12 pm
It's better than the Eagles making their longtime o-line coach, their d-coordinator.
February 26, 2011 at 03:35 am
There's precedent all over the place.
Just off the top of my head, Coach Mike McCarthy made his reputation on developing young talent as a QB coach. MM has never played at the NFL level, and was a TE in college.
Joe Whitt, Jr., Packers WR coach, never played the pro game either. He did, however play WR in college- so he has some limited experience as a WR. But then, he entered the professional coaching ranks as a DB coach his first few years.
February 25, 2011 at 03:44 pm
I like the moves. At some point you have to look towards the next challenge. I'm sure Bennet has aspirations of becoming a coordinator some day, and experience working with WR's will help that.
February 25, 2011 at 04:31 pm
seems a bit odd to me. moving Edgar to a position coach position thats not RB? Whats Robert Brooks up to?
February 25, 2011 at 04:37 pm
I hope this doesn't mean our running backs start fumbling...
February 25, 2011 at 07:46 pm
I believe Bennett asked for the move (a.k.a. interviewed for the WRs job).
If he suceeds, he'll make for a better offensive coordinator candidate, as HCs won't be able to see him as an ex-running back that only knows about running backs.
February 26, 2011 at 07:05 pm
Good point.