Lambeau Field prior to the start of an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
Not a moment has passed while the Green Bay Packers search for a new defensive coordinator. Joe Barry, the Packers’ defensive coordinator since 2021, was fired, as was disclosed earlier this week. The defense, which features eight past first-round picks and other elite talent, had yet another unsatisfactory season before the decision was made.
Brandon Staley, the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in the past, was reportedly the first candidate interviewed for the job left vacant by Barry. In 2020, Barry was Staley’s assistant when the latter was the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator. Green Bay’s defensive scheme would stay mostly the same if Staley was hired.
It was also revealed earlier on Friday that the Packers had asked for authorization to speak with Bobby Babich, the linebackers coach for the Buffalo Bills. Babich has already been interviewed by the New York Giants for the position of defensive coordinator. Since joining the Bills in 2017, Babich has contributed to the linebacker unit’s rise to the top of the NFL.
Apart from Staley and Babich, there are rumors that Green Bay has requested authorization from the Dallas Cowboys to speak with one of their defensive coordinators. Not, as many fans would have hoped, Al Harris, the former Packers CB who now coaches the Cowboys defensive backs.
An interview with Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde is desired by the Green Bay Packers.
Aden Durde is being interviewed by the Green Bay Packers for the position of defensive coordinator.
Football fans will soon become familiar with Aden Durde’s name if they haven’t already. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, the Packers are not the only team that has asked to interview him for the open defensive coordinator position:
The Rams and Falcons have also asked to speak with Durde, as can be observed in the post above. Due to his close relationship with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and the success Dallas’ defensive lines have enjoyed under his direction, he has become somewhat of a sought-after commodity.
Aden Durde: Who Is He?
Aden Durde’s path to become an NFL coach hasn’t been easy. He was raised in Europe, namely Middlesex, England, unlike the majority of professional coaches. Durde participated in professional basketball in the UK, playing for the Scottish Claymores and the London Olympians. In Germany, he also performed with the Hamburg Sea Devils.
Durde played professionally in Europe in addition to spending time in the Carolina Panthers’ and Kansas City Chiefs’ training camps.
In addition, Durde was the defensive coordinator for the London Olympians, which facilitated his hiring by Dan Quinn as the Falcons’ head coach and helped him secure a position as a defensive quality control coach. Durde served as Atlanta’s outside linebackers coach and quality control coach for five seasons.
The Cowboys signed Durde as their defensive line coach in 2021.
