The Green Bay Packers entered the offseason needing massive upgrades to their disastrous special teams unit. To that end, Matt LaFleur made a splash hire.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Packers are expected to hire former Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia as their new special teams coach, per sources informed of the situation.
Green Bay fired special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton less than two weeks after the Packers' postseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers' special teams unit struggled all season -- ranking dead last in Football Outsiders DVOA metrics -- before bottoming out in the playoff defeat to San Francisco. At the end of the first half, Green Bay suffered a field-goal block that kept it a one-score game. Later, the Niners blocked a punt with under five minutes remaining that went for a touchdown, altering the outcome. Then, to make matters worse, Green Bay had just 10 men on the field for San Francisco's game-winning field goal.
LaFleur noted after the loss that changes needed to be made to the special teams unit to avoid the pitfalls that plagued the Packers.
Adding Bisaccia is a coup.
The 61-year-old has been one of the top special teams coordinators dating back to his days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. He spent the last four seasons as the Raiders special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. Bisaccia took over as interim coach after Jon Gruden's resignation earlier this year and led Las Vegas to a playoff berth.
Well respected within league circles, Bisaccia immediately brings credibility to the Packers' special teams crew in 2022 with the possibility of a swift turnaround for the worst unit in football.