GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WSAU) — On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers introduced Matt LaFleur as the fifteenth head coach in franchise history.
LaFleur has spent the previous two seasons as an offensive coordinator with both the Tennessee Titans and the Los Angeles Rams.
For many fans walking around Lambeau Field on Wednesday, they shared that LaFleur was a relatively unknown commodity that wasn’t on their radar.
“It was a new name,” says Sandy Davis from Pembine. “Just a surprise.”
Davis adds that she’s hopeful he’ll be able to turn the team around and is optimistic going forward.
Also generally surprised by the news, was Pete Saules of West Bloomfield, Michigan. He explains how he found out about the hire.
“On the workout machine and I saw it pop up on T.V. this morning,” he explains. “I said, ‘Oh, I guess the Packers got a new one.’”
Saules is a Lions fan and believes from an outside perspective that the Packers had given up on interim coach Joe Philbin.
“Well it seemed like that old, replacement guy that they had sure wasn’t doing too much,” he says. “So maybe this will spark them.”
One of the major narratives surrounding the hire is LaFleur’s age, only 39-years-old.
Keith Morency of Northfield, Michigan supports the hire.
“I mean, I’m 39-years-old, so anyone young like me being a coach is pretty cool,” he says.
He believes a younger voice and mindset will be a good thing for both the team and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I think it should help,” he explains. “Most of the players are obviously in their 20’s or early 30’s, so having a coach that’s your age is pretty cool.”
Scott Beckwith from Dallas, Texas thinks a young mind and fresh perspective could help spark an offense that seemed, at times, lackluster this past season.
“Maybe he’ll bring the spread offense to the NFL like their trying to do,” he says.
