The Best Move For The Green Bay Packers? Hiring Rich Bisaccia

Green Bay Packers Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia – Megan Briggs/Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers have no shortage of drama in free agency as they wait on the Aaron Rodgers decision. Because of this, many other moves, like promoting Rich Bisaccia, are getting lost in the tidal wave of Rodgers speculation. It may not seem like an exciting move to promote a coach to assistant head coach but what Bisaccia has done cannot be understated. This was well-deserved and the best move for the Packers in the past two years.

Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia – Scot Tucker/AP Photo

Rich Bisaccia: Savior Of The Green Bay Packers Special Teams

If you are not a fan of the Green Bay Packers you do not know the misery fans have felt for years about the special teams. Coordinators lasted about as long as Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers in the Harry Potter series. No matter how much promise someone showed, special teams were marred with miscues, blunders, and downright boneheaded plays. The Packers made a surprising hire with Bisaccia last season. After spending a year being the interim head coach for the Raiders after the Jon Gruden scandal, the Packers snagged him to fix their special teams. The early returns didn’t seem promising but over time, the unit got better.

Green Bay Packers Returner Keisean Nixon – Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Huge Improvement Midseason

The Packers started the season with Amari Rodgers as the returner. It could not have gone worse. He fumbled multiple times in big moments and it wasn’t long before the Packers yanked him from the role and ultimately traded him. Keisean Nixon then took over. He proceeded to take the league by storm and by season’s end, Nixon had earned First Team All-Pro honors as a returner. Pat O’Donnell revitalized the punting game and Mason Crosby had a bounce-back season after a subpar year. While there were still things to iron out, Bisaccia had transformed this unit into a competent part of the team.

Changing The Culture

Bisaccia’s coaching was definitely a part of the improvement but it also was changing the culture in the front office. For years, the Packers had been trying to get by signing fringe players to cheap contracts and hoping they could hold it together. Rich Bisaccia convinced the front office to invest money in core special teams players. Nixon was a top priority for the Green Bay Packers this offseason and his performance scored him a one-year $6 million contract. In the past, the team may not have re-signed a player like Nixon but because of Bisaccia’s influence, the unit is being taken seriously.

reen Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia – Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Retaining Bisaccia

The Packers fandom went nuts when it was announced that Bisaccia was interviewing for the Colts’ head coaching position. They breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Colts went in another direction. I believe the Packers are doing everything they can to retain Bisaccia on their coaching staff. They promoted him to assistant head coach which I’m sure comes with a pay raise. They understand what he has done for the unit and for the culture of the team and want to keep him around. The players often talked last season about how much they loved Rich Bisaccia. It is not just the special teams unit but the team as a whole.

The Green Bay Packers will get a full year of Keisen Nixon in 2023. Rich Bisaccia will have a year with the team under his belt. Expect the Packers to have a much better special teams unit this year. What will be interesting to see is what impact Bisaccia has on the team as a whole in his new role. It will be something for Packers fans to watch in this upcoming season.