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Jagodzinski Ready For Next Challenge
by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 01/02/2007
Jeff Jagodzinski's last day as the offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers was actually less than a full calendar year from his first.
But even though his stint as one of the top two coaches on Mike McCarthy's staff was brief, it gave Jagodzinski valuable experience to advance his career.
Jagodzinski was cleaning out his Lambeau Field office on Tuesday, getting ready to fly to Boston on Wednesday to officially begin his tenure as the head coach of the Boston College Eagles in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
A position coach during his first seven years in the NFL (including five with the Packers from 1999 to 2003), Jagodzinski felt the move up to coordinator in 2006 prepared him to take over his own program for the first time.
"Probably the biggest thing that I got was the experience of being in front of the team every day, being in front of the offense every day, and being able to install things and manage all the coaches on offense," said Jagodzinski, who was hired by McCarthy on Jan. 15, 2006. "That's the experience I've gotten that has been the best for me. That has really been invaluable, because that has gotten me ready to be a head coach."
Jagodzinski's top priorities as he begins in Boston will be to assemble his staff and get the recruiting process going. January is a key month in college football recruiting, with national signing day in early February.
In his first head coaching position, he also wants to focus on establishing what he calls a "real positive working environment." That's an element he felt McCarthy succeeded in doing in Green Bay this past year, and he hopes to emulate that as much as he can.
"I want it to be very positive and I want people enjoy coming to work there," he said. "I think that's very important. Mike made it a very enjoyable environment to work in. I think you get the most out of your people when it's like that."
Seeing in general how McCarthy operated as a first-time head coach was helpful, too. Jagodzinski said he's been on the staff of a first-time head coach probably five times, so he's seen things that work and others that don't.
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"Mike just got done being an offensive coordinator and he was still fresh off of that," Jagodzinski said. "So I got a lot of knowledge from him as far as how to do things, how to structure things. All that stuff was very good from him."
He added that he can't wait to get started in Boston, and he is looking forward to working with college-age athletes again. Jagodzinski was a college assistant coach at five different schools from 1985 through 1998, the last two at Boston College, and he feels watching and influencing the growth of 18- to 22-year-olds is a rewarding process.
His time in Green Bay was rewarding as well. A native of West Allis, Wis., Jagodzinski grew up a Packers fan and knows he will always look back fondly on running the offense of a professional team, particularly the Green and Gold.
"It was something I've always worked for," he said. "I didn't know if it was going to be in Green Bay. I always thought I'd be back here someday, but coming back here the second time and being with Mike McCarthy was really special. He gave me a lot of responsibility.
"Just being from the state, I know how passionate the fans are about Green Bay football, and growing up in it and being able to coach here two times, not just once but being here a second time, was a dream come true for me." |
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