PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Even though Mike McCarthy has had some accomplished offensive coaches, several of whom would go on to become head coaches, you know he’s going to be in charge on that side of the ball. It doesn’t diminish that eventual offensive coordinator hire, but what have his teams done on the defensive side?
McCarthy has hired youth, to Pittsburgh connections, to former head coaches on the defensive side over his career.
His first defensive coordinator at Green Bay was Bob Sanders who coached in college for 22 years before working with linebackers with the Dolphins for four. He had just started on Mike Holmgren’s staff as defensive ends coach when McCarthy promoted him to defensive coordinator—that lasted three seasons as his teams were 25th, 6th and 22nd in points against.
McCarthy replaced him with former Bill Cowher defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who was 59 at the time. He coached the Packers defense for the next nine seasons. His first year they were seventh in points allowed and second in total defense. In the 2010 Super Bowl year, the Green Bay defense was second in points allowed and fifth in total. With the exception of 2013, they were middle of the pack, until his last two seasons when they were 21st and 26th in points against.
In his final year at Green Bay, McCarthy hired former Browns head coach and twice a defensive coordinator in the NFL Mike Pettine and they improved slightly to 21st in total D and 18th in points allowed.
In his first year with Dallas, McCarthy brought in Mike Nolan, who was his head coach at San Francisco in 2005, as defensive coordinator. He also hired Steel Valley High School’s and one-year Niners head coach Jim Tomsula to coach the defensive line. After one season with Nolan where they struggled, McCarthy had former Seahawks and Florida Gators defensive coordinator and Falcons head coach Dan Quinn take over as his defensive coordinator for three years before he left to be the Commanders head coach. His final season with Quinn, the Cowboys were top five in total defense, passing defense and points against.
McCarthy also hired Aden Durde for the defensive line, he’s now the defensive coordinator with the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. Al Harris, who played for McCarthy with the Packers, coached defensive backs for four years and rose to assistant head coach in 2024. He’s currently the Bears defensive pass game coordinator. Former Bills and six-year Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards added to the coaching staff as a consultant, he’s now with Tampa Bay. Ben McAdoo was a senior consultant under McCarthy and currently a senior defensive assistant for the AFC Champion Patriots. Joe Whitt returned to coach with McCarthy as a defensive backs coach and is currently the Commanders defensive coordinator.
In his final season with the Cowboys, former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer ran the defense and former Bengals and Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was the defensive run game coordinator.
McCarthy is not afraid to take a chance on a young coach, but his history is to bring in experience and many who had been coordinators or head coaches previously. There is a chance one or two coaches stay, but know he’s not afraid of new ideas from veteran coaches.
Among those who were key pieces of his defensive staffs at Green Bay
· Winston Moss-worked with McCarthy with the Saints and rose from linebackers to Associate Head Coach in 13 years in Green Bay
· Kurt Schottenheimer-brother of Marty, was a former Chiefs, Lions and Washington defensive coordinator and McCarthy brought him in for 3 years to coach defensive backs
· Joe Whitt, Junior-hired after spending a year as the Falcons assistant defensive backs coach to first do quality control and then coach the Packers corner for 8 years. He’s currently the Washington defensive coordinator
· Steelers LB Kevin Greene-came to Green Bay after a one-year coaching internship with the Steelers and coached outside linebackers for 4 years
· Steelers DB Darren Perry-coached the safeties from 2009-17
· Current Steelers Inside Linebackers Coach Scott McCurley was a Pitt graduate assistant and hired to work defensive quality control to assistant linebackers coach spending 10 years with McCarthy in Green Bay & then following him to Dallas
· Mike Trgovac-brought in after being the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator for 6 years to coach the Packers defensive line for 9 years
· Ejiro Evero-current Carolina defensive coordinator & interviewed to be Steelers head coach, gave him one of his earlies jobs as defensive quality control
· Patrick Graham-had previously worked for the Patriots and after 1 year with McCarthy, became Miami’s defensive coordinator & is currently the Raiders defensive coordinator