Lindy Infante passes away

ivo610

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Former Packers coach and 1989 coach of the year passed away after a lengthy illness
 

TJV

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Sad news.

Infante certainly had a 'majik' season but I think he was an example of the peter principle: IMO his ideal job in the NFL was OC. This is one thing I'll always remember about him. I wrote this about 4 years ago: "After Lindy Infante’s 1989 Packers executed several “miracle” comebacks to get to 10-6 a Wisconsin radio station did a poll of where Infante stood in the history of Packers’ HCs. While they missed the playoffs that year it was the Packers’ best season since the ’72 season and that was good enough (or the previous decade-and-a-half bad enough) for Infante to finish ahead of Lambeau and Lombardi in what I’m sure was an unscientific poll."
 

El Guapo

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Rest In Peace. A good guy if anything.

He even gave Mandarich a second chance when Lindy coached the Colts.
 

Packerlifer

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After trying Hall of Fame former players as head coaches for 13 years the Infante hiring in 1988 represented a signal change in direction for the Packers organization. It could be said that he was the first "real pro football coach" the club hired since Lombardi and, especially after that 1989 season, his common ethnic ancestry with Lombardi and that both came to Green Bay after outstanding offensive coordinator careers in the NFL seemed to be "de javu."

QB Don Majkowski's contract holdout and subsequent injuries beginning in 1990 cut the legs out from under Infante's program. Besides the Mandarich draft bust and rb Brent Fullwood's attitude and behavior after a Pro Bowl season in '89.

http://www.packershistory.net/1988PACKERS.html

http://www.packershistory.net/1989PACKERS.html

http://www.packershistory.net/1990PACKERS.html

http://www.packershistory.net/1991PACKERS.html
 
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TJV

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I understand the reflex after someone dies to ‘not speak ill of the dead’, but IMO that doesn’t mean we should distort history.
After trying Hall of Fame former players as head coaches for 13 years the Infante hiring in 1988 represented a signal change in direction for the Packers organization. It could be said that he was the first "real pro football coach" the club hired since Lombardi and, especially after that 1989 season, his common ethnic ancestry with Lombardi and that both came to Green Bay after outstanding offensive coordinator careers in the NFL seemed to be "de javu."
Phil Bengtson and then Dan Devine were hired after Lombardi and although both failed, each was a “real pro football coach”. While Forrest Gregg was a Packers legend he had also been an NFL HC for 7 years, (barely) had a winning record and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1981. That qualifies as a “real pro football coach” too, doesn’t it?

And anyone feeling “déjà vu” comparing Infante to Lombardi wasn’t paying any attention whatever or never saw the Lombardi Packers. The Packers won 4 games in 1989 by one point. They were tied for 8th in the league in scoring offense and 18th in scoring defense (Infante whose expertise was offense never saw his Packers team rise above 22nd in scoring except for the 1989 season). Infante finished with a 24-40 record in Green Bay and then went 12-20 in Indianapolis. In six seasons as an NFL HC, he recorded one playoff appearance - a loss. As I mentioned, the record shows he was best suited for an OC job in the NFL.

IMO the "signal change" in the direction of the organization occurred when Harlan created the VP/GM job and hired Wolf to fill it. Wolf observed the team for about the last month of the 1991 season. He said he witnessed a "country club" atmosphere in spite of the team finishing that season 4-12. Could anyone imagine such a thing being said about any Lombardi team?
 

weeds

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The guy had really nice snakeskin cowboy boots... RIP Lindy.

Mentioned to my wife (who isn't a football fan) that Lindy passed away. Her immediate response: "The guy who wore the boots on his show?"

"Yes, Momma. The guy with the boots."
 

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