Green Bay Packers Clean House, Fire Six Assistant Coaches

After a disastrous 6-10 season filled with injuries and defensive mishaps, the Green Bay Packers have released six assistant coaches Monday.

Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy announced that defensive coordinator Bob Sanders, defensive ends coach Carl Hairston, defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn, secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer, cornerbacks coach Lionel Washington, and strength and conditioning coordinator Rock Gullickson would all be released of their duties with the Packers effective immediately.

The firings come at the end of a disappointing season for the Packers, a season that saw high expectations dashed by numerous injuries, and a defense that dropped into the lower third of the NFL in many major categories.

Several key players missed extensive time due to injury: Cullen Jenkins, Justin Harrell, Ryan Pickett, Michael Montgomery, Nick Barnett, Al Harris, Pat Lee, Nick Collins, Atari Bigby, Mark Tauscher, Scott Wells, Ruvel Martin, James Jones, and Brandon Jackson.

Others like A.J. Hawk, Chad Clifton, Johnny Jolly, Aaron Rouse, Jason Spitz, Charles Woodson, Donald Driver, and Korey Hall all had lingering injuries that hampered them throughout the season. Gullickson turned out to be the scapegoat for all the injuries the Packers suffered through this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers had a miserable season. Overall, the defense finished 20th in NFL in yards given up per game (11th in 2007), with an abysmal 26th ranked rush defense (14th in 2007). The 23.8 points per game given up by the Packers was 22nd in the league, way up from 2007 when the Packers only gave up 18.2 points per game (sixth best in the NFL).

The 380 points allowed by the defense is the fifth most in Packers history.

The run defense was the Achilles' heel for most of the season. Green Bay gave up an average of 4.6 yards per rush (26th in the NFL), 20 rushing touchdowns (27th), and gave up over 2,100 yards (2,105) for the first time since before the Brett Favre era in Green Bay. The Packers gave up 100 yards to a rusher six times this season, and gave up over 80 to a running back ten times.

The pass defense started solid—ranking in the top three throughout the first seven games—but faded down the stretch (12th in the NFL). Too many times the pass defense failed in key fourth quarter possessions when the Packers needed just one stop for a win.

In addition, games like the Texans (Matt Schaub—414 yards, two touchdowns) and the Saints (Drew Brees—323 yards, four touchdowns) stick out as games where the pass defense simply didn't show up.

Many were to blame for the slide, but only linebackers coach Winston Moss kept his job out of the major defensive coaches.

McCarthy said it was tough letting go of so many people that he truly respected.

"These are difficult decisions," McCarthy said. "I hold each of these men in high regard on a personal level, and I want to thank them for their service to the Green Bay Packers."