Report: Ron Zook Looks to Become Next Packers Special Teams Coordinator
It would appear the former head coach at Florida and Illinois will be promoted by the Packers.
It would appear as if Ron Zook will be named the next special teams of the Green Bay Packers, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
A league source said at least one potential candidate has been told that coach Mike McCarthy intends to promote from within and elevate Zook, who served as the Packers' assistant special teams coach last season.
Previous special teams coordinator, Shawn Slocum, was fired last week after his unit allowed seven blocks in 2014 and finished last in the NFL in the Dallas Morning News' annual special teams rankings.
Zook, best known as the former head football coach at the universities of Florida and Illinois, has experience in special team as an assistant at Florida in 1994 and 1995 under head coach Steve Spurrier and then again from 1996 to 1998 with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the staff of Bill Cowher.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is familiar with Zook through their time spent with the New Orleans Saints in 2000 and 2001 when McCarthy was offensive coordinator and Zook was defensive coordinator.
Zook was hired by the Packers in 2014 as a special teams assistant and discussion of his impending hiring will focus on whether it will be a good idea to stay within the organization.
Many of the well-known special teams coordinators in the NFL that were available have already been scooped up after the Packers advanced so far in the postseason and began the hiring process later than most, as McGinn notes in his article.
Comments (24)
egbertsouse
February 04, 2015 at 07:53 am
As a coach wasn't he a part of the whole debacle this year? Why don't they just clean house and get somebody new?
murphy
February 04, 2015 at 07:58 am
Who is available?
RCPackerFan
February 04, 2015 at 10:56 am
How do we know how Zook was?
Maybe he tried voicing his opinion on things and was shot down by Slocum?
We don't know how he was behind the scenes. Maybe he deserves this shot. Maybe not. We will likely find out though.
Don't put to much stock into an assistant not being worthy of a job if the team doesn't do well. McCarthy was an OC before the Packers hired him and they didn't have a great record when the Packers hired him.
HankScorpio
February 05, 2015 at 07:01 am
"As a coach wasn't he a part of the whole debacle this year? Why don't they just clean house and get somebody new?"
==================================
That exact same sentiment was expressed when McCarthy fired Mike Stock and promoted Shawn Slocum. That decision worked ok for a time but eventually things fell apart. And now McCarthy is hiring his 3rd ST coordinator.
He's hired 3 Offensive Coordinators, too. But those changes were made because the guys he had were poached for other jobs.
zoellner25
February 04, 2015 at 08:50 am
That's what I meant about dumpster diving. This is not a promotion, it's grasping for straws.
KenEllis
February 04, 2015 at 09:28 am
Zook has a long coaching career but little STs experience, but he is another guy who is close to MM. Not as good a buddy as Slocum but still a bud.
Here's hoping Zook proves more competent as a STs coach than MM's prior crony Slocum.
4thand1
February 04, 2015 at 10:12 am
Edgar Bennett was a running back, and I think running backs coach before a receivers coach. That seems to be working well.
KenEllis
February 04, 2015 at 12:05 pm
And Slocum was primarily a Linebackers/defensive coach prior to joining the Pack as an assistant STs coach, how did that work out?
Here's hoping Zook is more like Edgar Bennett than Slocum.
4thand1
February 04, 2015 at 01:26 pm
Zook will be on a short leash.
Packer_Pete
February 04, 2015 at 04:26 pm
Just as Slocum was? Meaning, your STs can rank in the bottom 5 for several years before McC pulls the plug? That's one thing I am being critical of Mike. he needs to let go of coaches who don't get it done sooner than he does.
Evan
February 04, 2015 at 11:10 am
I can't say I love this move. Would have preferred someone from outside the organization.
That said, I have literally no idea what makes a good ST coach. So, go Zook!
4thand1
February 04, 2015 at 01:27 pm
Make sure your guys know their assignments? Can you say Bostick.
Evan
February 04, 2015 at 02:43 pm
By all reports I saw, Bostick "knew" his assignment, but just didn't do it. That's on the coach?
Not being prepared for the fake FG, now that's on the coach, 100%.
RCPackerFan
February 04, 2015 at 03:47 pm
7 blocked FG's...
Kind of goes along with that old theme, Shame on me once.... but Shame on me 7 times, I think I lost my job...
Also during his tenure he had 2 kickers lose confidence in themselves. Does it have to do with the coach? We don't know. But it has to reflect on his coach at least a bit.
I have no idea how Zook will be, but hopefully he will be able to get more out of his players then what Slocum was able to...
Evan
February 04, 2015 at 09:20 pm
Again, were the blocks because of bad design? Or just players not executing? I remember one bad one where someone on the left (a TE, I think) just didn't block anyone. Is that on him or Slocum?
Not defending him in the least, I'm just saying don't know where blame rightfully falls on stuff like that.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2015 at 06:52 am
Yeah, I agree with you too... It is hard to designate who to blame. A lot of it really comes down to players.
On the play your talking about, do we know who that player is supposed to block? So maybe by the design of the play, he was supposed to block someone else? Or maybe the player failed to block who he was supposed to? I am not sure.
i don't remember what happened on each block kick, but there just way to many.
Its like anything in football. Coaches tend to take more blame then deserved and not enough credit when owed. Perhaps a lot of the issues on special teams this year were on the players and not Slocum. At the end of the day though, the special teams are really what cost them the victory in the playoff game.
They made the right decision in letting Slocum go, and hopefully they will be able to improve.
badaxed
February 05, 2015 at 07:36 am
Just ask yourself. " what would Lombardi do"?
If players did not block? What would Lombardi do?
If players did not tackle? What would Lombardi do?
If coaches did not coach? What would Lombardi do?
There are trains, planes and automobiles leaving green bay every day.
Now that was a man who REALLY believed in accountability.
NickPerry
February 05, 2015 at 06:04 am
If nothing changes, nothing changes. Zook was out of coaching for 2012 and 2013 until the Packers came knocking to make him an assistant on a horrible ST unit from the year before. So what happens? THEY WERE WORSE! McCarthy couldn't get a jump on finding a decent replacement because of the unfortunate passing of his brother, they were all signed by the time he returned. But you still have to wonder if someone, anyone in College, Canada, anywhere could be found as a better choice than Zook.
RCPackerFan
February 05, 2015 at 07:04 am
Yeah, the timing of everything was bad for them to go out and find a coach.
I don't know if you can blame Zook for what happened on special teams this year. Similar things have happened on special teams in previous years under Slocum.
Behind the scenes we have no idea what really went on.
Do we know how good or bad Zook will be? No, not really. For that I am going to say, lets see how he does with the Packers this year and decide if he is going to be good or not. Give him a shot first.
badaxed
February 05, 2015 at 09:20 am
Would you give him a shot knowing it could end up the same way as 2014?
Time to clean house and show what happens when you are the worst special teams in the nfl.
Evan
February 05, 2015 at 09:42 am
It could end up the same or worse with anyone they bring in.
badaxed
February 05, 2015 at 05:52 pm
When you are last in the league there is no place to go but up.
Evan
February 05, 2015 at 06:33 pm
They could have 10 blocked FGs next year...
Thegreatreynoldo
February 06, 2015 at 07:48 am
MM offers Zook the ST job. After Zook hammers out a contract with TT, TT says: "By the way, I am letting Bush, Kuhn, Boykin, Tramon, Lattimore and House walk. We have a plan for Richardson as a hybrid S/ILB, so he won't be as available. Hayward looks to be the new starting boundary CB, Hyde as the slot CB. I haven't decided about A.J. and Brad Jones. On the bright side, I have decided to keep Bostick, Quarless, and I have high hopes for Lane Taylor. How does that sound to ya?"