The coaching change in Green Bay is the hot topic after Sunday evening’s firing of Head Coach Mike McCarthy. We thought we’d talk a look back at how each coaching change of the Green Bay Packers has taken place over the last 100 seasons.
CURLY LAMBEAU
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1919-1949
Record in Green Bay: 209-104-21 (.686)
After a career that produced six NFL championship teams (1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, and 1944) the man instrumental in the Green Bay Packers’ very existence was offered a revised contract in 1949 that stripped him of nearly all control over non-football matters. Lambeau rejected this offer almost out of hand. For all intents and purposes, this was the end of his 31-year tenure at the helm of the team he founded. However, he didn't formally resign until February 1, 1950.
GENE RONZANI
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1950-1953
Record in Green Bay: 14-31-1 (.311)
Following a loss in the annual Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit, Ronzani resigned the next day with two games remaining and received a $7,500 severance. Before he departed, Ronzani hired Jack Vainisi as full-time talent scout. Vainisi would receive credit for discovering the six Hall of Famers drafted from 1953-58: C Jim Ringo, T Forrest Gregg, QB Bart Starr, HB Paul Hornung, FB Jim Taylor and LB Ray Nitschke.
LISLE BLACKBOURN
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1954-1957
Record in Green Bay: 17-31-0 (.354)
After four years as the head coach in Green Bay, he was asked to resign at the end of the 1957 season after a disappointing 3–9 campaign, but refused and was fired in January 1958.
RAY (SCOOTER) MCLEAN
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1958
Record in Green Bay: 1-10-1 (.091)
McLean was elevated from backfield coach to head coach following Blackbourn’s firing. Unfortunately, the team bottomed-out under his leadership, which included players deciding how they should discipline themselves. The Packers finished the season with a franchise-worst 1-10-1 (.125) record, with a roster laden with future All-Pro and hall of fame players. McLean's contract expired on December 31, 1958 and he resigned days after the conclusion of the season.
VINCE LOMBARDI
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1959-1967
Record in Green Bay: 89-29-4 (.753)
Lombardi’s tenure in Green Bay is well known: Six-time NFL champions, two-time Super Bowl champions, playoff record of 9-1. Lombardi stepped down as head coach of the Packers on February 1, 1968, staying on as the team's general manager for 1968. He handed off the head coaching position to Phil Bengtson, his long-time defensive assistant. In 1969, Lombardi became head coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins, where he would finish with a record of 7-5-2 for a single season. He would die of colon cancer the following September.
PHIL BENGSTON
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1968-1970
Record in Green Bay: 20-21-1 (.488)
Bengston’s low-key approach was in sharp contrast to the often-volatile Lombardi. This, combined with the aging of key players on the team’s roster, translated into mediocrity for the franchise. After a 6-8 record in 1970, he was relieved of his duties.
DAN DEVINE
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1971-1974
Record in Green Bay: 25-27-4 (.481)
Despite making the playoffs in his second season (1972), Devine’s overall inability to coach at the pro level — combined with the infamous trade for aging QB John Hadl that crippled the Packers next draft — led to his resignation on December 16, 1974.
BART STARR
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1975-1983
Record in Green Bay: 52-76-3 (.406)
Despite later acknowledging his inexperience for the job, Starr gave it all as both coach and general manager (for the first five seasons). The Packers made the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1983 season, but after finishing 8-8 the next year and barely missing the playoffs, he was fired on December 19, 1983.
FORREST GREGG
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1984-1987
Record in Green Bay: 25-37-1 (.403)
The Packers made another coaching hire of a “Glory Years” player that did not equal a return to the success of the 1960s. Coming from the Cincinnati Bengals, Gregg’s two .500 seasons at the start degraded into losing seasons for his final two years. Gregg voluntarily left the Packers in January 1988 and took a salary reduction to take over at SMU, his alma mater.
LINDY INFANTE
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1988-1991
Record in Green Bay: 24-40-0 (.375)
Infante left Cleveland to take the job in Green Bay. His 4-12 first season was followed by the exciting 1989 effort, where the Packers’ come-from-behind wins led to a 10-6 record and the team just missed the playoffs. Two losing seasons follwed, which sealed his fate. Infante was fired by the Packers' new general manager, Ron Wolf, at the end of the 1991 campaign.
MIKE HOLMGREN
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1992-1998
Record in Green Bay: 75-37-0 (.670)
The revival of the Green Bay Packers started with Holmgren’s unlikely landing with the moribund team in 1992. The arrival of QB Brett Favre played a huge part in the team’s success. The Packers won Super Bowl XXXI, but lost Super Bowl XXXII. Holmgren won at least one game in five consecutive postseasons (1993-1997). Holmgren's Packers posted an NFL-best 48-16 (75.0%) record, finished first in the NFC Central Division three times, second once, and set a 7-3 mark in the playoffs between 1995 and 1998. His desire to serve as both head coach and GM led to his resignation after the 1998 season to take that opportunity in Seattle.
RAY RHODES
Head Coach in Green Bay: 1999
Record in Green Bay: 8-8-0 (.500)
Coming to Green Bay from Philadelphia, this former Packers’ assistant spent only one season with the team, after which he was fired by GM Ron Wolf for, among other reasons, according to Rhodes, “expecting his players to be responsible and in putting too much faith in them.” Rhodes said he tried to treat them the way he wanted to be treated when he was a player, and that approach simply didn't work. Wolf saw a marked decrease in the team’s discipline and effort.
MIKE SHERMAN
Head Coach in Green Bay: 2000-2005
Record in Green Bay: 57-39-0 (.594)
Another former Green Bay assistant coach, Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000 to 2004, and three consecutive NFC North Division titles. Unfortunately, his team’s 4-12 record in 2005 led to his firing by new GM Ted Thompson after that season.
MIKE MCCARTHY
Head Coach in Green Bay: 2006-2018 (through Week 13)
Record in Green Bay: 125-77-2 (.618)
Hired by Ted Thomspon in 2006, McCarthy inherited QB Brett Favre near the end of his playing career. His teams won six NFC North Division titles, and complied a 10-8 (.556) record in the playoffs. But his playoff record contributed to his demise, including three NFC Championship Game losses. The worst was the 2014 loss in a season where they had already beaten the eventual NFL Champion New England Patriots. The bright spot of his career in Green Bay was the victory in Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season. In 13 seasons, he had only four losing years, including his final two. He was fired by team president Mark Murphy following a Week 13 loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals.
Packers Head Coaches By Winning Percentage:
Vince Lombardi (.753)
Curly Lambeau (.686)
Mike Holmgren (.670)
Mike McCarthy (.618)
Mike Sherman (.594)
Ray Rhodes (.500)
Phil Bengtson (.488)
Dan Devine (.481)
Bart Starr (.406)
Forrest Gregg (.403)
Lindy Infante (.375)
Lisle Blackbourn (.354)
Gene Ronzani (.311)
Ray (Scooter) McLean (.091)