Packers make in-house addition and find new linebackers coach

Paul Bretl | 2/4/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With Anthony Campanile now the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new defensive coordinator, the Packers have reportedly found their next linebackers coach.

To fill this role, the Packers are staying in-house, and promoting assistant linebackers coach Sean Duggan to linebackers coach, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Before joining the Packers in 2024, Duggan was a top assistant at Boston College under Jaff Hafley. When Hafley took over as the head coach of Boston College in 2020, he hired Duggan to be the linebackers coach. The two had worked together at Ohio State the year prior when Hafley was the co-defensive coordinator and Duggan was a grad assistant.

From 2020 through 2022, Duggan was the linebackers coach at Boston College and became the co-defensive coordinator in 2023, along with still retaining his title as linebackers coach.

“After working with Sean at Ohio State, he was a guy who jumped out that if I ever landed a head job, I have to hire this guy,” said Hafley when he hired Duggan in 2020 via SI’s BC Bulletin. “He is smart, reliable, sees things on gameday and really understands the big picture. He is well advanced beyond his years and has a chance to be a superstar in our profession.”

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Replacing Campanile won’t be an easy task, but apart of the success that the Packers linebacker unit and run defense had in 2024 was Duggan.

Now, of course, having a talent like Edgerrin Cooper in the middle–whose speed and athleticism allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways–certainly helps a lot. But there’s a lot that goes into the progression we saw from Cooper as the year went on. It’s the work he puts in, it’s the gained experience through reps, it’s time in the film room, and it’s coaching. If a rep is off in practice, players get back in line and do it again until it’s done correctly.

Along with Cooper’s emergence, Quay Walker put together his best season as a pro. Again, as the season went on and he got more comfortable with the new scheme and his new role as the Mike linebacker, confidence was gained and strides were made. From Weeks 12-14, prior to Walker’s ankle injury, you name it, whether it be run defense, pressuring the quarterback, or plays in coverage, and Walker ranked among the best at his position group during that span.

We also saw steady play from Isaiah McDuffie, and whenever Eric Wilson was called upon to fill a larger role, he was ready and often came up with some impact plays.

“I think Coach Camp and Sean Duggan have done a really good job with the linebackers and the knowledge they’ve poured into him (Walker) and how much he can retain and get out,” said Hafley during the season.

Campanile also held the title of run game coordinator–an area where the Green Bay defense made major strides in 2024, operating as one of the best in football in that regard. As of now, we do not know if Duggan will hold that same title and those job responsibilities.

Against the run, Green Bay finished the season ranked third in yards per carry allowed and seventh in rushing yards per game, which included holding opponents to under 100 yards for the first time since 2009.

The linebackers also played a crucial role in the team’s ability to drum up pressures. With the four-man front struggling to get home, Hafley had to manufacture pressure on the quarterback through either blitzes or simulated pressures to throw some eye candy and confusion at the offensive line. Despite the inconsistencies up front, the Packers’ defense as a whole would rank in the middle of the pack in pressure rate, with the linebackers being a big part of that.

“I think Haf’s done a great job with them and Campanile and Sean Duggan’s in that room, as well,” said Matt LaFleur prior to the Jacksonville game. “So, really confident with that room.”

As the defensive coordinator, Hafley establishes the vision for what he wants the defense to be and what the game-plans need to look like on a weekly basis. It’s then up to the position coaches to relay that messaging to their players and make sure that throughout the week when it comes to prep, fundamentals, technique, and the understanding of the why behind each player’s role, those standards are upheld.

“What a great job he’s (Campanile) done with the linebackers, him and Sean Duggan, with those young guys and obviously it’s shown,” Hafley said late in the season.

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