Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur was nothing if not thorough as he went through the process of hiring a new defensive coordinator.
Joe Barry, who LaFleur picked to replace Mike Pettine, said Tuesday that he interviewed twice and spoke on the phone several times with the Packers head coach, creating an overall interview process that lasted at least 14 hours.
“We had two official interviews and they were both via Zoom. The first interview was about five hours long. The second one was about six hours long. And then the three days between those two, we probably had another 5-6 phone conversations that probably totalled three hours,” Barry said. “It was detailed, it was thorough. And we talked about everything. We talked about philosophy and motivation. We talked about scheme. And we absolutely talked about personnel.”
LaFleur said he talked with nine different candidates before picking Barry, who spent the last four seasons as a top assistant with the Los Angeles Rams.
Barry, who worked with LaFleur for one season in Los Angeles, is getting his third shot at being a defensive coordinator. His defenses in Detroit and Washington were underwhelming, but Barry said he’s learned from every situation and isn’t ashamed of the “scars” from his past in coaching.
“I think, in life, you’re hardened by tough experiences. When true growth takes place, I think, is when things are really, really hard,” Barry said.
LaFleur likely spent part of the interview process understanding how Barry has evolved and grown since his last stint as a coordinator.
Barry clearly impressed LaFleur enough to get the job. And the feeling about the process was mutual.
“I was blown away with how detailed he was, the process he followed. He unturned a lot of stones. It was really neat for me. I saw him as a co-worker. We were both assistant coaches. To see him wear that head coach hat, it was pretty impressive,” Barry said.
The Packers are turning to Barry after moving on from Pettine, who got the defense into the top 10 in scoring in 2020 but didn’t always mesh with LaFleur’s philosophy for playing defense.
On Tuesday, Barry said the Packers will play “fast and furious,” with “relentless effort” and a focus on beating blocks, tackling consistently and creating turnovers.
LaFleur is worried less about the past and more about the future. And he’s confident Barry – with his combination of energy, communication skills and teaching ability – is the right coach for the job.
“The bottom line is we’re going to get judged on what we do moving forward and not from our past experiences,” LaFleur said. “I just felt really comfortable with the person, his ability to communicate, the energy he’s going to bring, the scheme that he’s bringing with him in order to get the most out of our players.”
Over a half-day of interviews led LaFleur to his pick at defensive coordinator.
“I loved the process that Matt and I went through. It was as thorough a process as I’ve ever been through,” Barry said.
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