NFC North Notes: Bears, Packers, Matt LaFleur

Bears

• The Bears announced that they have signed DBs coach Deshea Townsend and Ronell Williams as their new defensive quality control coach.

Packers

• Jim Owczarski reports that the Packers have hired former Redskins LBs coach Kirk Olivadotti to the same position in Green Bay.
• According to Rob Demovsky, the Packers are expected to retain DBs coach Jason Simmons.
• Demovsky also reports that Mississippi State OC Luke Getsy interviewed with the Packers and spoke with HC Matt LaFleur about the WRs and QBs coaches positions, but left Green Bay without a contract.

Matt LaFleur

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst explained that Matt LaFleur‘s offense with the Titans was “really creative” and put “a lot of pressure” on their defense.

“That (offense) was always something that stood out to me, I thought it was really creative and put a lot of pressure on our defense,” Gutekunst said, via Pete Dougherty. “LaFleur worked with the quarterbacks there and was moving up through the ranks. Somewhere back then is when I was aware of him and started putting him on those lists.”

Gutekunst added that his contacts in Tennessee helped to sell him on the kind of coach they were getting in LaFleur.

“Most of that was just talking to people who had coached with Matt, worked with him,” Gutekunst said. “Then his presence in the (interview) room was positive as well. He had the whole offense (while) working for a defensive head coach this past year in Tennessee. Him actively seeking that opportunity and doing that this year made me feel pretty good about it.

“… My contacts down there in Tennessee, listening to them speak about how he ran the offensive meeting room. He’s worked with a bunch of different kinds of quarterbacks is important as well. Those are some of the things you’re never going to completely know until you have the guy in the building doing it, but your best bet is talking with the people that worked with him.”