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Matt LaFleur

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Matt LaFleur
refer to caption
LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers in 2019
Green Bay Packers
Position:Head coach
Personal information
Born: (1979-11-03) November 3, 1979 (age 42)[1]
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Career information
High school:Mount Pleasant (MI)
College:Saginaw Valley State
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Head coaching record
Regular season:38–9 (.809)
Postseason:2–2 (.500)
Career:40–11 (.784)
Coaching stats at PFR

Matthew Patrick LaFleur (born November 3, 1979[1]) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the quarterback coach of the Washington Football Team (then known as the Washington Redskins) and the Atlanta Falcons and has been the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and the Tennessee Titans.

Playing career

Born and raised in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, LaFleur attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo and played wide receiver in 1998 and 1999. He transferred to Saginaw Valley State in Division II, and he played quarterback from 2000 to 2002, guiding the Cardinals to the D-II playoffs each season.[2] LaFleur left Saginaw Valley State as their all-time leader in passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns. LaFleur was inducted into the SVSU Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame on October 1, 2021.[3]

LaFleur briefly played in the National Indoor Football League with the Omaha Beef as the backup quarterback, and the following summer, signed with the Billings Outlaws in Montana.[4]

Coaching career

Early years

LaFleur's coaching career began in 2003 at his alma mater, Saginaw Valley State, as an offensive graduate assistant, during which time he also substitute taught in the local high schools, specializing in math. LaFleur proceeded to Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant and assisted the offensive staff in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, he coached quarterbacks and receivers at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator at Ashland University in Ohio in 2007.[5]

Houston Texans

LaFleur then was hired in 2008 by the Houston Texans to serve as an offensive assistant. He assisted both wide receivers and quarterbacks during his two-year stint there and developed a close relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Washington Redskins

When Shanahan's father Mike was hired by the Washington Redskins, Kyle brought LaFleur to Washington to coach the quarterbacks in 2010.[6] A primary responsibility of LaFleur's for the 2012 season was to mentor rookie quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.[7]

Notre Dame

After six years of coaching in the NFL, LaFleur returned to college football as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Notre Dame in 2014. LaFleur tutored senior quarterback Everett Golson who posted 3,445 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air, helping him become just the fourth quarterback in school history to eclipse such totals in a single season. [8]

Atlanta Falcons

LaFleur with the Falcons in 2016

On February 5, 2015, LaFleur returned to the NFL as the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons working under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, with whom he had previously worked with while with the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans. LaFleur's younger brother, Mike, was also an offensive assistant with the Falcons.[9]

In 2016, LaFleur coached Matt Ryan on his way to winning his sole NFL MVP award. The Falcons reached Super Bowl LI, where they faced the New England Patriots, but squandered a large lead and lost 34–28 in overtime.[10]

Los Angeles Rams

On February 8, 2017, LaFleur joined the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff as offensive coordinator, working under head coach Sean McVay, with whom he had previously worked during his tenure with the Washington Redskins.[11] Under LaFleur and McVay, the Rams finished the year with an 11–5 record and as the league's number one scoring offense, scoring 478 points through 16 games.[12]

Tennessee Titans

On January 30, 2018, LaFleur left his position with the Rams to take the same position with the Tennessee Titans.[13] Joining new head coach Mike Vrabel, LaFleur's role in directing the offense increased, as he had play-calling responsibilities unlike during his tenure with the Rams.[14] The season was plagued with injuries, with the Titans losing star tight end Delanie Walker in Week 1, and Mariota dealing with an incessant nerve injury throughout the season.[15] LaFleur and the Titans finished the season with the 27th ranked scoring offense in the NFL.[16]

Green Bay Packers

LaFleur was hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers on January 8, 2019.[17] On May 30, 2019, LaFleur suffered a torn Achilles while playing basketball.[18] LaFleur also led the Packers to a 2–2 preseason.[19]

2019 season

On September 5, 2019, LaFleur made his regular-season head coaching debut against the Chicago Bears, and led the Packers to a 10–3 victory.[20] He also became the first Green Bay coach to win his first game against the Bears since Vince Lombardi in 1959.[21] The Packers finished with a 13–3 record in LaFleur's first season as a head coach, and in the process, LaFleur became the first Packers rookie head coach to win 10 games, make the playoffs, and win the NFC North (as well as going 6–0 in division play in the process). In addition, the 13 wins were the most from a rookie coach since Jim Harbaugh did it with the 49ers in 2011.

LaFleur led Green Bay to their first postseason berth since the 2016 season as the NFC's number two seed, as he won his postseason debut against the Seattle Seahawks 28–23 in the divisional round of the playoffs to advance to the NFC Championship Game, where the Packers fell to the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers 37–20.

2020 season

The Packers began the 2020 season by winning all four games prior to an early Week 5 bye. After a 5–1 start, LaFleur lost his first-ever divisional game, with a 22–28 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.[22] Despite this, the Packers continued rolling, and LaFleur clinched his second consecutive NFC North title and playoff berth in Week 14 with a 31–24 victory against the Detroit Lions. With a 35–16 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 17, Green Bay clinched the NFC's number one seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season. The Packers also closed the season out on a six-game winning streak, and LaFleur extended his win-loss record in December games to 9-0.

LaFleur finished with a 26–6 record in his first two seasons as coach, tied for the second-best start for a coach since the 1970 merger (only George Seifert, at 28–4, has a better record). His team finished as the league's number one offense, scoring 509 points over the course of the season, and with quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing for a Packers franchise-record 48 touchdowns.[23]

In the playoffs, LaFleur and the Packers hosted the Los Angeles Rams, who had the league's number one scoring defense and were led by one of LaFleur's former bosses, Rams coach Sean McVay.[24] The Packers defeated the Rams, 32–18,[25] to host the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2007, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31–26.

2021 season

LaFleur's 2021 season began with a demoralizing 38–3 loss to the New Orleans Saints. They proceeded to win each of their next six games to bring the 6–1 Packers to a Thursday night showdown with the NFL's last unbeaten team, the 7–0 Arizona Cardinals. In addition to playing on the road on a short week, the Packers were forced to play without their top three wide receivers, after Davante Adams and Allen Lazard tested positive for COVID-19[26] and Marquez Valdes-Scantling remained out with a hamstring injury since Week 3. Despite the challenges, the Packers emerged victorious, 24–21 with a thrilling last-minute interception of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, and LaFleur became the winningest head coach through his first 40 career games in NFL history.[27]

The following week, star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19[28], and LaFleur named second-year quarterback Jordan Love the starter for their Week 9 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although Love was relentlessly blitzed during his first career start, he managed to outplay Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, completing 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. LaFleur took the blame for not being able to counter the Chiefs' aggressive defensive strategies.[29] Special teams miscues ultimately cost the Packers the game, falling 7–13 to drop them to 7–2.

The Packers then shut out Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson the following week, the first such occurrence in his career, to win their Week 10 game 17–0. In Week 11, LaFleur's Packers fell 31–34 to their division rival Minnesota Vikings, but rebounded to win 36–28 against LaFleur's former boss Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams the following week. The Packers clinched their third consecutive NFC North title with a tight 31–30 Week 15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. LaFleur became the first head coach since Dallas's Barry Switzer to win the division in each of his first three years as head coach.

The Packers have dealt with a notable amount of injuries throughout the season. Top pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith has not played since Week 1, while top cornerback Jaire Alexander has not played since spraining his shoulder in Week 4. Top tackle David Bakhtiari has yet to re-appear in a game since tearing his ACL during the 2020 season, and his replacement, offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, was lost for the season with a similar ACL injury in Week 11. In addition, starting tight end Robert Tonyan met a similar fate during the Packers' Week 8 showdown in Arizona. [30]

Head coaching record

Team Year Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
GB 2019 13 3 0 .813 1st in NFC North 1 1 .500 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game
GB 2020 13 3 0 .813 1st in NFC North 1 1 .500 Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in NFC Championship Game
GB 2021 12 3 0 .800 1st in NFC North –
Total 38 9 0 .809 2 2 .500

Personal life

LaFleur is married to BreAnne Maak, whom he met in college, and they have two sons, Luke and Ty.[31] His younger brother, Mike, is the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.[32] Robert Saleh was the best man at LaFleur's wedding, as the two became close while working as graduate assistants at Central Michigan.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b "Happy Birthday to Head Coach Matt LaFleur!". Green Bay Packers. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Packers coach Matt LaFleur was a NCAA DII football standout as a player and coach. Here are 11 of his records". NCAA. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "SVSU Athletics Hall Fame Class of 2020 Induction Set for Friday". September 15, 2021. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Matt LaFleur becomes an Outlaw". oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. May 18, 2004. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  5. ^ "Former AU assistant coach reportedly hired to lead NFL's Green Bay Packers". Ashland Source. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  6. ^ "Washington Redskins: Matt LaFleur". Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  7. ^ "Redskins staff of Shanahan, McVay, LaFleur". SI.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  8. ^ Hansen, Eric. "LaFleur refines Notre Dame quarterbacks". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Alper, Josh (February 5, 2015). "Report: Falcons add Jeff Ulbrich, Matt LaFleur to coaching staff". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "Super Bowl LI – New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons – February 5th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  11. ^ Patra, Kevin. "Rams name Matt LaFleur offensive coordinator". NFL.com. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  12. ^ "2017 Los Angeles Rams Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  13. ^ Wyatt, Jim. "Titans Name Dean Pees DC, Matt LaFleur OC". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  14. ^ "Matt LaFleur Learning on the Run in New Signal-Calling Role". www.tennesseetitans.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  15. ^ Herndon, Mike B. (September 6, 2019). "Did Matt LaFleur's head coaching debut make you feel better about the Titans offense?". Music City Miracles. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "NFL coaching carousel: Who landed where and who's still searching?". AOL.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Matt LaFleur named Green Bay's 15th head coach". packers.com. January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "Packers' Matt LaFleur tears Achilles playing basketball". NFL.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  19. ^ "Packers, Bears kick off NFL's 100th season with 199th matchup in prime time at Soldier Field". FOX6Now.com. September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  20. ^ "Packers stuff Trubisky, Bears in low-scoring opener". NFL.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  21. ^ "LaFleur makes Packers history with season-opening road win". www.nbc15.com. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  22. ^ "Dalvin Cook, penalty flags prove too much for Packers". www.packers.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  23. ^ "Packers QB Aaron Rodgers sets franchise record for TD passes in season". Packers Wire. January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  24. ^ Arthur, Kenneth (January 12, 2021). "Rams will be best pass defense Aaron Rodgers has faced since losing 2019 NFC championship". Turf Show Times. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  25. ^ "Packers down Rams, 32-18, to advance to NFC title game". www.packers.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  26. ^ Demovsky, Rob. "Green Bay Packers place star WR Davante Adams on COVID-19 list". ESPN. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Smith, Michael David. "Matt LaFleur's 33-7 record is best through 40 games of any coach in Super Bowl era". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Demovsky, Rob. "Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tests positive for COVID-19, source says". ESPN. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Kruse, Zach. "Matt LaFleur takes blame for Jordan Love's struggles against blitz vs. Chiefs". ThePackersWire. USA Today. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  30. ^ "2021 Green Bay Packers - Injuries". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  31. ^ "Matt LaFleur Family & Children: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  32. ^ "Mike LaFleur – Offensive Coordinator/QBs/WRs – Davidson College". davidsonwildcats.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  33. ^ "Matt LaFleur vs. Robert Saleh: Best man stands in way of Super Bowl berth". ESPN.com. January 17, 2020.

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