Matt LaFleur addresses 'tough decision' to fire Joe Barry

After advancing to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs this past season, the Green Bay Packers shook things up when Matt LaFleur parted ways with defensive coordinator Joe Barry. The franchise’s offense got plenty of attention as Jordan Love got the keys at quarterback, but struggles on defense highlighted the season.

Ultimately, LaFleur decided to make a change, firing Barry and bringing in Jeff Hafley from Boston College – although he said it wasn’t an easy decision.

Barry took over as the Packers’ defensive coordinator in 2021, and the franchise brought in plenty of talent on that side of the ball through the NFL Draft. Green Bay notably struggled in the running game, though, ranking 28th in the NFL with 128.3 rushing yards allowed on average. While the numbers weren’t great, LaFleur said it still wasn’t an easy call to make a change.

“There’s a lot of thought and deliberation that goes into that,” LaFleur said, via Pro Football Talk. “You guys know how I feel about Joe Barry. I’m so thankful for our time together. I’ve got so much respect for him as a man and as a coach, and what he was able to do for us. Those are tough decisions, but I think as a head football coach, sometimes you’ve got to make some tough decisions in terms of what you think you need to do moving forward to put your team in the best possible position.”

What Matt LaFleur and the Packers are getting in new DC Jeff Hafley

Barry has been a defensive coordinator for seven seasons in the NFL, serving previous two-year tenures with the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders before joining the Packers in 2021. Since his departure, he latched on with the Miami Dolphins as linebackers coach and run game coordinator.

With Barry out, it’s now Hafley’s show running the Packers’ defense after four seasons as the head coach at Boston College. He amassed a 22-26 record with the Eagles, but is now preparing to return to the NFL. Hafley spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers as a defensive backs coach from 2012-18 before returning to the college ranks at Ohio State as defensive coordinator and DBs coach in 2019.

In Hafley’s lone season at Ohio State in 2019, the Buckeyes had the best defense in the Big Ten, holding teams to 259.7 yards and 13.7 points per game en route to a 13-1 record and a national championship appearance.