The Green Bay Packers have announced the final changes to their coaching staff, according to the team’s official website.
Winston Moss was named assistant head coach/linebackers, Scott McCurley assistant linebackers coach, Alex Van Pelt quarterbacks coach, Jason Simmons defense/special teams assistant, John Rushing defensive quality control coach, Sam Gash running backs coach, Ron Zook assistant special teams coach, Luke Getsy offensive quality control coach and Chris Gizzi strength and conditioning assistant.
Five coaches–Moss, McCurley, Van Pelt, Simmons and Rushing–have been with the Packers for at least the past two seasons.
Moss had served as assistant head coach/inside linebackers for the past five seasons but will now add the outside linebackers to his responsibilities. Former outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene decided earlier in the offseason to step away from coaching. Moss was the only defensive coached retained by head coach Mike McCarthy following the 2008 season and his role on the coaching staff has continued to grow. He will be assisted by McCurley, who had been the team’s defensive quality control coach since 2007.
Van Pelt, a career backup quarterback, joined the Packers in 2012 as running backs coach but will now serve as the quarterbacks coach, replacing Ben McAdoo who joined the New York Giants as offensive coordinator. Overseeing the running backs this past season, Van Pelt helped the Packers’ run game improve to No. 7 in the NFL. Van Pelt was the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons (2010-2011) and helped quarterback Josh Freeman enjoy his most successful season as a professional in 2010.
Simmons is entering his fourth season with the Packers after joining the coaching staff in 2011 following a ten-year NFL playing career. Having served as coaching administrator the past three seasons, Simmons will now work with special teams, defensive backs and quality control.
Rushing, entering his sixth season in Green Bay, served as offensive assistant/special teams for the past two seasons after starting his Packers coaching career as an offensive quality control coach for 2009-10 and assistant wide receivers/special teams in 2011.
The four newcomers–Gash, Getsy, Gizzi and Zook–bring different backgrounds to Green Bay’s coaching staff.
Gash played 12 years in the NFL as a fullback with the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. He was the Patriots’ fullback when Green Bay defeated New England in Super Bowl XXXI. As a coach, Gash spent the past six seasons in charge of the Detroit Lions’ running backs. Prior to his stint in Detroit, Gash spent two seasons (2005-06) with the New York Jets, serving as assistant running backs and assistant special teams coach.
Getsy served as the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan in 2013 after spending two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Before getting into coaching in 2007, Getsy played quarterback for two seasons at Akron University after transferring from Pittsburgh.
Gizzi played linebacker for two seasons with the Packers from 2000-2001. He came into the NFL in 1998 as an undrafted free agent and spent two years on the Denver Broncos’ reserve/military list while serving his military commitment. Gizzi spent last season at the University of North Carolina, serving as the assistant football strength and conditioning coach.
Zook, the most seasoned veteran of the Packers’ new coaches, has twice served as head coach of a major university–first at the University of Florida (2002-04) then at the University of Illinois (2005-11). The highlight of his head-coaching career came in 2007 when he led Illinois to the Rose Bowl and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Prior to becoming a college head coach, Zook spent six seasons as an assistant coach at the professional level, including a two-year stint as defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints. Zook will assist Shawn Slocum in coaching the Packers’ special teams.
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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Zook has one hell of a challenge ahead of him. He will have to wear a cape and have an S on his chest. How would you like to assist stroker Slocum? I wish him the best of luck and he has my sympathy. Would have been better to just have the balls and name him the special teams coach and have stroker Slocum assist him…
Correct unless he is hiding out on defense to take Dom’s place when he hangs it up!
Gash is such a great name for a full back
The Packers could have Gash and Dix this season.
Ha Ha.
Wow, Ron Zook is in the house. He aught to put a fire under some butts…
I also think Van Pelt is finally in his proper place as the QB coach. They should’ve put him there the day he was hired…
Wasn’t Gizzi the guy that ran onto Lambeau carrying the flag for the Monday Night Game after 9/11?
Woopie! Thanks, Since ’61
Correct Savage. Gizzi was a special teams demon. Whoever replaced the former strength and conditioning coach is an immediate upgrade. Why Van Pelt was ever moved to a position coach he never played is beyond me. I think McCarthy outthinks his own logic too often. Maybe why we run a 3-4 D with too many 4-3 players. Just my opinion.