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Green Bay - Now that the Green Bay Packers' season has ended and coaches are wrapping up their final evaluations, head coach Mike McCarthy
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After just one year, Jeff Jagodzinski is leaving Wednesday to become head coach at Boston College.
Jagodzinski was more than just a reliable confidant of McCarthy's. He brought inside knowledge of the zone blocking scheme, having learned it directly from one of the experts, Alex Gibbs. Jagodzinski also could have a fiery presence in practice that kept slacking players on their toes, and he knew how to push young players to improve.
Under him, the Packers finished eighth in the NFL in total offense. The youngest team in the NFL, with most of the youth on offense, finished 8-8, four victories better than in 2005.
If McCarthy were to consider promoting from his own staff, offensive line coach Joe Philbin and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements would be the logical leading candidates.
On Monday, both coaches were extremely cautious in discussing the vacancy, even carefully guarding whether they're interested in the job.
"We'll discuss that later on," said Clements. "We're just finalizing the season."
It isn't known if they have approached or will approach McCarthy to campaign for the job.
"There'd be some interest if Coach thought that was the best thing," said Philbin. "If he approaches me about it and there's mutual interest, we'll certainly talk about it."
Certainly, promoting a reliable and hardworking assistant would be ideal for both sides.
"That says a lot about the guys you hired, if you can (promote from within)," said Jagodzinski. "Because you were right when you hired those guys. I don't want to bring another guy in and restart from zero."
Jagodzinski said he didn't know what McCarthy would do with the job, but he did offer McCarthy an opinion; he declined elaborate.
Philbin has coached for 20 years and has been an assistant for the tight ends and offensive line with the Packers since 2003.
Clements has coached for 14 years, including two as Buffalo's offensive coordinator from 2004-'05. He was a quarterback for Notre Dame and had a 12-year career in the Canadian Football League. This was his first year in Green Bay.
On Monday, as the Packers cleaned out their lockers, backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he thought both coaches were capable of becoming coordinators.
All of the offensive linemen gave their support for Philbin.
"I love him," said center Scott Wells. "He'd be a good candidate for the job. He never seems to get overwhelmed with anything, which is important. Great teacher. He understands the game."
Whoever the coordinator is, he'll probably have to fit in with the system that is already in place rather than the other way around. The Packers spent a year working on the zone blocking scheme. They also used three draft picks on lighter, more athletic linemen for zone blocking. That zone blocking is the foundation of the offensive line.
"When Coach McCarthy got hired, that was something he wanted to implement and that's something that he believes in strongly," said right tackle Mark Tauscher. "If we went away from that, we kind of would have wasted a year because we put in so much time and effort on it. I don't see the fact that just because Jags is leaving the zone scheme is going to go with him."
Philbin, either as line coach or coordinator, should be able to continue the work on the zone scheme, Jagodzinski said, because he took what he learned from Gibbs and installed the run scheme with Philbin all the way.
"I feel good about what we're doing, the system that we have in place and our ability to teach it," said Philbin.
Quarterback may also have an impact on McCarthy's requirements for coordinator. Does he need someone to coach a future Hall of Famer or someone to groom the heir apparent?
McCarthy probably will be asked to address some of his requirements for the coordinator position when he conducts his season-ending news conference Wednesday. But Jagodzinski, a West Allis native, said the multi-faceted role of offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers was rewarding for him even under such challenging circumstances as starting three rookies on the line and another rookie as the No. 2 receiver.
"Being the coordinator here, I got the chance to be in front of the team every day," said Jagodzinski.
"I think this experience has been invaluable, especially a place like this, Green Bay, growing up around this team and always rooting for this team."
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After just one year, Jeff Jagodzinski is leaving Wednesday to become head coach at Boston College.
Jagodzinski was more than just a reliable confidant of McCarthy's. He brought inside knowledge of the zone blocking scheme, having learned it directly from one of the experts, Alex Gibbs. Jagodzinski also could have a fiery presence in practice that kept slacking players on their toes, and he knew how to push young players to improve.
Under him, the Packers finished eighth in the NFL in total offense. The youngest team in the NFL, with most of the youth on offense, finished 8-8, four victories better than in 2005.
If McCarthy were to consider promoting from his own staff, offensive line coach Joe Philbin and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements would be the logical leading candidates.
On Monday, both coaches were extremely cautious in discussing the vacancy, even carefully guarding whether they're interested in the job.
"We'll discuss that later on," said Clements. "We're just finalizing the season."
It isn't known if they have approached or will approach McCarthy to campaign for the job.
"There'd be some interest if Coach thought that was the best thing," said Philbin. "If he approaches me about it and there's mutual interest, we'll certainly talk about it."
Certainly, promoting a reliable and hardworking assistant would be ideal for both sides.
"That says a lot about the guys you hired, if you can (promote from within)," said Jagodzinski. "Because you were right when you hired those guys. I don't want to bring another guy in and restart from zero."
Jagodzinski said he didn't know what McCarthy would do with the job, but he did offer McCarthy an opinion; he declined elaborate.
Philbin has coached for 20 years and has been an assistant for the tight ends and offensive line with the Packers since 2003.
Clements has coached for 14 years, including two as Buffalo's offensive coordinator from 2004-'05. He was a quarterback for Notre Dame and had a 12-year career in the Canadian Football League. This was his first year in Green Bay.
On Monday, as the Packers cleaned out their lockers, backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he thought both coaches were capable of becoming coordinators.
All of the offensive linemen gave their support for Philbin.
"I love him," said center Scott Wells. "He'd be a good candidate for the job. He never seems to get overwhelmed with anything, which is important. Great teacher. He understands the game."
Whoever the coordinator is, he'll probably have to fit in with the system that is already in place rather than the other way around. The Packers spent a year working on the zone blocking scheme. They also used three draft picks on lighter, more athletic linemen for zone blocking. That zone blocking is the foundation of the offensive line.
"When Coach McCarthy got hired, that was something he wanted to implement and that's something that he believes in strongly," said right tackle Mark Tauscher. "If we went away from that, we kind of would have wasted a year because we put in so much time and effort on it. I don't see the fact that just because Jags is leaving the zone scheme is going to go with him."
Philbin, either as line coach or coordinator, should be able to continue the work on the zone scheme, Jagodzinski said, because he took what he learned from Gibbs and installed the run scheme with Philbin all the way.
"I feel good about what we're doing, the system that we have in place and our ability to teach it," said Philbin.
Quarterback may also have an impact on McCarthy's requirements for coordinator. Does he need someone to coach a future Hall of Famer or someone to groom the heir apparent?
McCarthy probably will be asked to address some of his requirements for the coordinator position when he conducts his season-ending news conference Wednesday. But Jagodzinski, a West Allis native, said the multi-faceted role of offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers was rewarding for him even under such challenging circumstances as starting three rookies on the line and another rookie as the No. 2 receiver.
"Being the coordinator here, I got the chance to be in front of the team every day," said Jagodzinski.
"I think this experience has been invaluable, especially a place like this, Green Bay, growing up around this team and always rooting for this team."
