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mark murphy - NFL.com

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COACHING STAFF / MIKE McCARTHYMIKE McCARTHYHEAD COACH18th <strong>NFL</strong> SeasonSixth Packers SeasonFifth as Head CoachVETERANS COACHES COMMUNITYLAMBEAU RECORDS &DRAFT &MISC. FIELD HISTORY 2009 REVIEW FREE AGENTSUpon be<strong>com</strong>ing Head Coachof the Green Bay Packers in2006, Mike McCarthy wasknown in <strong>NFL</strong> circles for his innovativeoffensive mind and his ability to develop youngquarterbacks.Four seasons into his tenure in Green Bay, that reputationhas be<strong>com</strong>e firmly entrenched, if not enhanced, by thePackers’ offensive prowess before and during the transitionto Aaron Rodgers as the team’s starting quarterback.McCarthy’s four Packers teams all have ranked in the<strong>NFL</strong>’s top 10 in total yardage – <strong>com</strong>ing in at ninth in 2006,second in ’07, eighth in ’08 and sixth in ’09 – one of onlytwo teams along with New Orleans to finish in the top 10each of the last four years. In his first two seasons, McCarthysimultaneously oversaw a mini-renaissance to futureHall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre’s career and the developmentof Rodgers as his backup, and since then, thereins have been turned over to Rodgers.The former Cal standout hasn’t disappointed his primarytutor or his team, be<strong>com</strong>ing the first quarterback in<strong>NFL</strong> history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in each ofhis first two seasons as a starter. The Packers also havebe<strong>com</strong>e the first team in league history to produce a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers (Greg Jennings,Donald Driver), and a 1,200-yard rusher (Ryan Grant) intwo consecutive years.The 2009 unit was particularly prolific, <strong>com</strong>piling afranchise-record 461 points and gaining 6,065 total netyards, the No. 3 <strong>mark</strong> in team history. The ’09 offense alsoled the league in average time of possession (33:03) andin fewest turnovers (16), both franchise bests. All the offensivefirepower, <strong>com</strong>bined with a revamped defense, gotthe Packers back into the playoffs last season, McCarthy’ssecond postseason appearance in three years.MAJOR CHANGEMcCarthy embarked upon the first major alterations tohis coaching staff since his arrival, hiring Dom Capers tobe his new defensive coordinator and change the unit froma 4-3 base alignment to the 3-4 scheme that has been thestaple of Capers’ career.The results were incredibly impactful. The defense improvedfrom 20th in total yards allowed in ’08 to second in’09, and from 26th in run defense to the top spot, be<strong>com</strong>ingthe first Green Bay defense to lead the league againstthe run and setting a franchise record by allowing just 83.3yards rushing per contest. The defense also led the leaguein interceptions (30) and total takeaways (40).The ’09 season was not a smooth road back to playoffcontention, however. Back-to-back losses in early Novemberto division rival Minnesota and previously winlessTampa Bay dropped the Packers to 4-4, and a promisingseason suddenly appeared in doubt.But McCarthy kept building on the identity that wasforming – a team that could attack with multiple threatsoffensively, stop the run defensively and win the turnoverbattle – and led the Packers out of the adverse stretch tothree straight victories in 12 days, culminating on Thanksgivingat Detroit. The winning streak was stretched to fivegames and included home triumphs over eventual playoffteams Dallas and Baltimore.The team also overcame considerable adversity, in theform of season-ending injuries to defensive starters AlHarris and Aaron Kampman, to ultimately go 7-1 over thesecond half of the schedule. Meanwhile, Rodgers earnedMike McCarthy at a glance…►►Named the Packers’ 14th head coach on Jan. 12, 2006.►►Has led the Packers to a top-10 ranking in total offense eachof his four seasons, joining New Orleans as the only teamsto ac<strong>com</strong>plish that from 2006-09.►►Has coached two of the four highest-scoring teams in franchisehistory (2007, 2009).►►Has been on Green Bay’s coaching staff four of the ninetimes in team history (1999, 2007-09) the offense has produceda 4,000-yard passer.►►Honored as 2007 ‘<strong>NFL</strong> Coach of the Year’ by Motorola and<strong>NFL</strong> Alumni.►►Became the first Packers coach since Vince Lombardi to leadthe team to a championship game in his second season, andtied Mike Sherman for the most regular-season wins by aPackers coach in his first two years (21).►►Has worked with a stable of quarterbacks that has <strong>com</strong>binedfor 36 Pro Bowl selections, nine Super Bowl starts, and sixMost Valuable Player awards.►►Prior to Green Bay, had never been a head coach at anylevel, breaking into the <strong>NFL</strong> as a quality-control assistantwith the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993, his first of 13 years asan <strong>NFL</strong> assistant, which included six seasons as an offensivecoordinator calling plays in New Orleans (2000-04) and SanFrancisco (2005).►►Was inducted into the Baker University athletic hall of famein October 2007.►►Born and raised in Pittsburgh, one of five children. Hisfather, Joe, was a longtime firefighter and police officer.COACHING BACKGROUNDYears College/Pro Team Position Coached1987-88 Fort Hays State . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graduate Assistant1989 Univ. of Pittsburgh . . . . . Volunteer Assistant (QBs)1990-91 Univ. of Pittsburgh . . . . . Graduate Assistant (QBs)1992 Univ. of Pittsburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wide Receivers1993-94 Kansas City Chiefs ... Off. Assistant/Quality Control1995-98 Kansas City Chiefs ................Quarterbacks1999 Green Bay Packers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarterbacks2000-04 New Orleans Saints ........Offensive Coordinator2005 San Francisco 49ers . . . . . . . Offensive Coordinator2006-10 Green Bay Packers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Head Coachhis first Pro Bowl berth, nearly breaking the franchise’ssingle-season record for passing yards, and veteran cornerbackCharles Woodson was named the <strong>NFL</strong> DefensivePlayer of the Year.Unfortunately, the late-season surge ended abruptlywith a sudden-death overtime loss at Arizona in the NFCWild Card game. But without question, McCarthy has gottenthe Packers back on track toward the goal that hasn’tchanged since the day he was hired, and that’s to bring aworld championship back to Green Bay.ON THE BRINKMcCarthy brought the Packers to the brink of ac<strong>com</strong>plishingthat goal in just two years. Coming off an 8-8rookie season that ended with a momentum-building, fourgamewinning streak, McCarthy led the Packers to a 13-3<strong>mark</strong> in 2007 that was groundbreaking in many respects.The Packers tied the franchise record for victories in theregular season and won the club’s first NFC North Divisiontitle since 2004. They also captured an NFC playoff byeand advanced to the conference championship game forthe first time in a decade. It all earned McCarthy 2007 ‘<strong>NFL</strong>Coach of the Year’ awards from Motorola and <strong>NFL</strong> Alumnias well as a new five-year contract that runs through 2012.28

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