- Named the Packers' 15th head coach on Jan. 8, 2019.
- His 56 regular-season wins are tied for the second most in NFL history by a head coach in his first five seasons in the league, trailing only George Seifert (62 in 1989-93).
- Guided the Packers to a 56-27 regular-season record (.675) from 2019-23, No. 1 in the NFC and tied for No. 3 in the NFL over that span.
- Led Green Bay to the playoffs last season for the fourth time in five years (tied for No. 1 in the NFC over that span), guiding a team that was the youngest to make the postseason since the 1974 Buffalo Bills (25.56) with a weighted age of 25.58.
- In his first three seasons with the Packers (2019-21), led Green Bay to a trio of 13-win seasons, three NFC North crowns and two appearances in the NFC title game.
- Did not lose back-to-back games in his first 49 games, the most in NFL history by a head coach to start his career.
- Finished second in voting for The Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year in 2021.
- Became just the sixth head coach since 1970 to lead his team to the conference championship game in both of his first two seasons as a head coach, joining Jim Harbaugh (2011-12), Rex Ryan (2009-10), Barry Switzer (1994-95), Seifert (1989-90) and Don McCafferty (1970-71).
- Helped guide QB Aaron Rodgers to back-to-back NFL Most Valuable Player awards (2020-2021) as he became only the fifth player in NFL history to win consecutive MVPs.
- Has guided the Packers to three of the top four seasons in team history for fewest giveaways (11 in 2020, 13 in 2019 and 2021).
- Is entering his 16th season in the NFL in 2024, having also served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a QBs coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16) and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
- During his first 10 seasons in the NFL before coming to Green Bay, was a part of staffs that helped their teams rank in the top 10 in the league in total yards seven times (2008-09, 2012-13, 2015-17). Was on a staff that helped its offense finish in the top five in the league in scoring three times, highlighted by No. 1 rankings in 2016 with the Falcons and in 2017 with the Rams.
- Tutored Falcons QB Matt Ryan, who led the league with a 117.1 passer rating in 2016, the seventh highest in a season in NFL history, on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press.
- Has coached the league MVP (Rodgers, 2020-21; Ryan, 2016) or the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year (Rams RB Todd Gurley, 2017; Ryan, 2016) in four of the last eight seasons.
- Began his coaching career in 2003 at his alma mater, Saginaw Valley State. Has six seasons of coaching experience at the collegiate level, having also worked at Central Michigan (2004-05), Northern Michigan (2006), Ashland University (2007) and Notre Dame (2014).
COACHING BACKGROUND
Years, College/Pro Team, Position Coached
- 2003, Saginaw Valley State University, Offensive Assistant
- 2004-05, Central Michigan University, Graduate Assistant
- 2006, Northern Michigan University, Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
- 2007, Ashland University, Offensive Coordinator
- 2008-09, Houston Texans, Offensive Assistant
- 2010-13, Washington Redskins, Quarterbacks
- 2014, University of Notre Dame, Quarterbacks
- 2015-16, Atlanta Falcons, Quarterbacks
- 2017, Los Angeles Rams, Offensive Coordinator
- 2018, Tennessee Titans, Offensive Coordinator
- 2019-23, Green Bay Packers, Head Coach
Entering his 16th season coaching in the National Football League, Matt LaFleur (la-flew-er) enters his sixth season in Green Bay after being named the Packers' 15th head coach on Jan. 8, 2019.
"We are very excited to welcome Matt as the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy on the day of LaFleur's hiring. "We found a coach with the background and experience that we think will get us back to playing winning football. We're also excited about the person – he is bright with a great work ethic and a perfect fit for Green Bay and the organization."
In his first five seasons leading the Packers, LaFleur has authored one of the finest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 56 regular-season wins are tied for the second most in league history by a head coach in his first five seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (62 in 1989-93). Green Bay's 56-27 (.675) regular-season record since 2019 is tied for No. 3 in the NFL and ranks No. 1 in the NFC. LaFleur has guided the Packers to four playoff berths in his first five seasons, tied for the most in the NFC since 2019, including back-to-back appearances in the NFC title game (2019-20) and the top seed in the NFC in both 2020 and 2021.
In his first three seasons in Green Bay (2019-21), LaFleur became the first head coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons. His 39 victories over that span passed Seifert (38 in 1989-91) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league and are also tied for the third most by a coach over any three-season span in league history (Mike Ditka, 40 from 1985-87; Andy Reid, 40 from 2020-22).
LaFleur's tenure has been highlighted by the team's success in NFC North contests, at Lambeau Field and late in the season. In his first five seasons, he has helped Green Bay capture three division titles (2019-21) while posting a 22-8 mark against NFC North opponents, a .733 winning percentage that ranks No. 1 among head coaches in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games). LaFleur has guided the Packers to a 32-9 regular-season record (.780) at home, the top mark in the NFL since 2019, highlighted by a 15-game home winning streak in 2020-22 that is the third longest in team history. Green Bay finished the 2021 campaign with an 8-0 record at Lambeau Field, the only NFL team to be undefeated at home in '21, and it marked the third straight season the Packers won seven-plus home games, tied for the second-longest streak in team history (2010-12) behind only a five-season stretch from 1994-98.
Green Bay is 18-2 (.900) in the month of December under LaFleur, the top winning percentage in the league since 2019. He led the Packers to 16 consecutive wins in December from 2019-23, the longest winning streak during the month in NFL history by a head coach and the second longest by an NFL team in history (San Diego Chargers, 18 from 2006-09). Green Bay is 22-4 during the regular season in December/January under LaFleur, an .846 winning percentage that leads the NFL since 2019.
Since taking over in 2019, LaFleur has helped the Packers rank No. 1 in the NFL in giveaways (77), No. 2 in time of possession (31:32), No. 3 in sacks allowed (152), No. 6 in penalties (447) and No. 7 in scoring offense (25.2 ppg). Of the top four seasons in team history for fewest giveaways, three of them have come under his direction (2019-21), and he joins Bill Belichick (2010, 2014, 2016-17) as the only head coaches in league history to guide their teams to three-plus seasons with 13 or fewer giveaways. Green Bay ranked in the top two in the NFL for fewest giveaways in three straight seasons (t-No. 1 in 2021 with 13; No. 1 in 2020 with a team-record 11; No. 2 in 2019 with 13), the first time in NFL history that a team had 13 or fewer giveaways in three consecutive seasons, and Green Bay's 37 total giveaways were tied for the fewest over a three-season span in NFL history (New England, 2015-17). The Packers are tied for No. 1 in the NFL in turnover margin (plus-34) since 2019 and have a 38-3 (.927) mark under LaFleur when they win the turnover battle.
In 2023, LaFleur led the Packers to the postseason for the fourth time in five years, the first time in franchise history that Green Bay secured a playoff berth after starting the season with three or fewer wins in its first nine games. The Packers were the youngest NFL team to make the playoffs since the 1974 Buffalo Bills (25.56) with a weighted age of 25.58 and became the youngest NFL team to win a postseason game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger with their 48-32 victory at the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Wild Card contest. Green Bay's rookie class combined to appear in 206 regular-season games in 2023, the most in a season in team history and the most by any NFL team last season.
LaFleur mentored first-year starting QB Jordan Love, who became just the third QB in NFL history to post 4,000-plus passing yards (4,159) and 32-plus passing TDs (32) in his first season with multiple starts, joining Kurt Warner (1999) and Patrick Mahomes (2018). Love was one of four QBs to rank in the top 10 in the league in passing TDs (No. 2), passing yards (No. 7) and TD/INT ratio (No. 7, 2.91) in 2023, and over the final eight regular-season games, he completed 196 of 279 passes (70.3 pct.) for 2,150 yards and 18 TDs with one INT for a 112.7 rating. Green Bay's offense received contributions from a host of young players last season with the rookie class combining for 191 receptions and 2,250 receiving yards, the most in both categories by any NFL team's rookie class since the 1970 merger. WR Jayden Reed set a team rookie record with 64 receptions and was joined by WR Dontayvion Wicks (39), TE Luke Musgrave (34) and TE Tucker Kraft (31) as they became the first rookie foursome in the NFL to each register 30-plus catches in a season since the 1970 merger.
The offense continued to excel under LaFleur in 2022 as QB Aaron Rodgers ranked No. 7 in the NFL in TD passes (26) while also tying for No. 5 with 53 completions of 20-plus yards. RB Aaron Jones led the team with a career-high 1,121 rushing yards and ranked No. 2 in the league among RBs with an average of 5.26 yards per carry. WRs Romeo Doubs (41, three) and Christian Watson (41, seven) became only the third rookie WR duo in NFL history to each have 40-plus receptions and three-plus TD receptions in a season. Additionally, the Packers ranked No. 7 in the NFL in sacks allowed (32), including just 17 in Weeks 7-18 (No. 3 in the NFL). Green Bay ranked No. 5 in the league in time of possession (31:23), its fourth straight season under LaFleur finishing in the top five in the NFL in the category.
In 2021, LaFleur guided an offense that was highlighted by spectacular seasons from Rodgers and WR Davante Adams. For the second consecutive season under LaFleur, and the fourth time overall, Rodgers was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America. He led the league in passer rating (111.9) for the second straight season and led the league in INT percentage (0.75) for the fourth straight season and an NFL-record sixth time. Adams set new single-season team records for receptions (123) and receiving yards (1,553) in '21 as he became the first player in team history with three 100-catch seasons (2018, 2020-21). He also became the first player in league history to post 115-plus catches, 1,350-plus receiving yards and 11-plus receiving TDs in back-to-back seasons (2020-21).
For the second consecutive season in 2020, LaFleur led Green Bay to a 13-3 record and an NFC North title while also earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 2011. According to Elias, he was the sixth head coach since 1970 to lead his team to the conference championship game in both of his first two seasons as a head coach, joining Jim Harbaugh (2011-12), Rex Ryan (2009-10), Barry Switzer (1994-95), Seifert (1989-90) and Don McCafferty (1970-71). Additionally, Green Bay's 13-win improvement over the previous two seasons (13 wins in 2017-18) marked the biggest two-season victory improvement by a head coach in franchise history from the two seasons prior to him taking over, eclipsing the previous mark held by Vince Lombardi (15 victories in 1959-60 after the Packers won four games in 1957-58).
The Packers led the NFL with 509 points in 2020, the second-highest total in team history (560 in 2011), including a league-best 12 games with 30-plus points. Green Bay was the only team to rank in the top 10 in the NFL in all of the following categories: total offense (389.0 ypg, No. 5), yards per play (6.29, No. 3), passing offense (256.6 ypg, No. 9), passing yards per play (7.81, No. 2), rushing offense (132.4 ypg, No. 8) and yards per carry (4.78, No. 7). Additionally, the Packers were the only NFL team to have three different players (Adams-18, Jones-11, TE Robert Tonyan-11) with 10-plus TDs in 2020.
Rodgers was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by AP and by the PFWA after leading the NFL with a 121.5 passer rating in 2020, the second-highest single-season mark by a quarterback in NFL history behind only his 122.5 rating in 2011. In addition to leading the NFL in passer rating, Rodgers also led the league in passing TDs (team-record 48), completion percentage (team-record 70.7) and INT percentage (0.95), the first QB to lead the NFL in all four categories since Steve Young in 1992. Adams set the franchise record to that point for receptions in a season with 115 and tied the team mark (Sterling Sharpe, 1994) for the most receiving TDs in a season with 18, becoming the only player in NFL history to have 18-plus TD receptions and 100-plus catches in a season. Adams led the league in receiving TDs, receiving yards per game and receptions per game in 2020, the first NFL player to lead the league in all three categories since Sharpe in 1992.
In LaFleur's first year leading the team in 2019, Green Bay finished the regular season with a 13-3 record on its way to an NFC North crown and the No. 2 seed in the NFC as he became just the fifth coach in league history to win 13-plus games in his first season as a head coach. He guided the Packers to their biggest one-year win improvement in club history (plus-seven wins) and became the first head coach to lead Green Bay to the playoffs in his first season. LaFleur joined Mike McCarthy as the only head coaches in club annals to lead the team to the NFC title game in their first playoff appearance, and he became the first NFL coach to do so since Harbaugh in 2011.
LaFleur guided the Packers to a 6-0 record in NFC North games in 2019, just the second time that Green Bay had gone undefeated in the division (2011) since the league went to a divisional format in 1967. He joined Jim Caldwell (2011) and Steve Mariucci (1997) as the only coaches in NFL history to post a perfect divisional record and 13-plus wins in the regular season in their first season as a head coach.
Green Bay's defense also took a step forward with LaFleur at the helm in 2019 as it ranked No. 9 in the NFL in points allowed (19.6 ppg), the first time Green Bay had finished in the top 10 in the category since 2010. The average was a 5.4-point decrease from 2018 (25.0 ppg.), the biggest one-year improvement in scoring defense for the Packers since 1996.
Since 2019, the Packers rank No. 8 in the NFL in points allowed (21.4 ppg), their top average over a five-season span since 2009-13 (20.8 ppg). Green Bay has limited its opponents to 21 or fewer points in 43 games under LaFleur, the third most in the NFC over that span behind only San Francisco (49) and Dallas (44). The Packers ranked in the top 10 in the league in passing defense each of the last four seasons, the lone NFL team to do so in 2020-23 and the team's first time doing so since 1974-77. That included a No. 6 ranking (197.0 ypg) in 2022, the fewest allowed by the Packers since 2010 (194.2 ypg). In 2021, Green Bay finished in the top 10 in the NFL in total defense (328.2 ypg, No. 9) and passing defense (219.1 ypg, No. 10), just the eighth time since 1970 that Green Bay finished the regular season in the top 10 in both categories (2020, 2010, 2009, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994).
LaFleur came to Green Bay after spending two seasons as an offensive coordinator, first with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 and then with the Tennessee Titans in 2018. He also coached quarterbacks for two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2015-16) and four seasons with the Washington Redskins (2010-13). LaFleur got his start in the NFL coaching ranks with the Houston Texans as an offensive assistant in 2008-09.
During his first 10 seasons in the league before coming to Green Bay, LaFleur was a part of offensive staffs that helped their teams rank in the top 10 in the NFL in total yards seven times (2008-09, 2012-13, 2015-17). In three of those seasons, LaFleur was on a staff that helped its offense finish in the top five in the league in scoring, highlighted by No. 1 rankings in 2016 with the Falcons and in 2017 with the Rams.
In his lone season with the Titans, LaFleur guided the offense to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg) as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL in 2018. Tennessee's ground game was led by third-year RB Derrick Henry, who finished No. 7 in the NFL in rushing yards (1,059) and tied for No. 3 in rushing TDs (12), the most by a Titan since RB Chris Johnson (14 in 2009). RB Dion Lewis added 517 rushing yards as Tennessee was one of only three teams in the league (Denver and Seattle) to feature both a 1,000-yard back and a 500-yard back in 2018.
Despite missing three full games and parts of others due to injuries in 2018, Titans QB Marcus Mariota ranked No. 6 in the league with a single-season franchise-record 68.9 completion percentage and posted a career-high average of 7.64 yards per attempt, the top mark by a Titans QB (min. 200 att.) since Steve McNair in 2003 (8.04). In Week 12 at Houston, Mariota completed 22 of 23 passes for 303 yards and two TDs with no INTs, a 95.7 completion percentage that was the second-best single-game mark in NFL history (min. 20 att.) behind only Chargers QB Philip Rivers' 96.6 percentage recorded the previous day vs. Arizona.
Under LaFleur's direction, Tennessee's offense had one of its finest seasons in team history when it came to taking care of the football, finishing tied for No. 7 in the NFL with 18 giveaways, tied for the fourth fewest in a season in franchise annals. The Titans set a single-season team mark with only six fumbles lost on the season, which was tied for No. 4 in the NFL in 2018. The offense also contributed to the Titans being called for the fewest penalties in the league (82), the fewest in franchise history in a 16-game season (since 1978).
As offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2017, LaFleur was part of a staff that helped the team improve its win total by seven games (4-12 to 11-5) as Los Angeles won the NFC West for the first time since 2003. The Rams led the league in scoring (29.9 ppg), more than doubling their average from 2016 (14.0 ppg) as they became the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to go from last to first in the NFL in scoring in one season. The Rams also finished in the top 10 in the league in total offense (No. 10, 361.5 ypg), rushing offense (No. 8, 122.1 ypg), passing offense (No. 10, 239.4 ypg) and third-down percentage (No. 9, 41.1).
RB Todd Gurley was named AP Offensive Player of the Year in '17 after leading the league in yards from scrimmage (2,093) and rushing TDs (13) and ranking No. 2 in the NFL with a career-high 1,305 rushing yards. QB Jared Goff finished in the top 10 in the NFL in passer rating (No. 5, 100.5), passing yards (No. 10, 3,804), passing TDs (t-No. 5, 28) and INT percentage (No. 5, 1.47). The Rams threw only seven INTs on the season, the fewest in the NFL in 2017 and tied for the fewest in a season in franchise history (1969).
LaFleur joined the Rams after serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2015-16. In 2016, he was part of an offensive staff that helped the Falcons win the NFC title and set franchise records for total offense (415.8 ypg), points scored (540), passing offense (295.3 ypg), giveaways (11) and yards per play (6.7). LaFleur tutored QB Matt Ryan as he set single-season franchise marks for passing yards (4,944), completion percentage (69.9) and TD passes (38) along with an average of 9.26 yards per attempt that ranks No. 1 in league history among QBs with 500-plus attempts. Ryan led the NFL with a 117.1 passer rating, the seventh highest in a season in league history, on his way to being named NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year by AP.
LaFleur spent the 2014 season coaching quarterbacks at the University of Notre Dame, where he helped QB Everett Golson throw for 3,445 yards and 29 TDs, both good for No. 3 in single-season school annals. Golson completed a school-record 25 consecutive passes in a game vs. Syracuse, eclipsing the previous mark of 14 straight held by three different QBs.
From 2010-13, LaFleur served as quarterbacks coach for Washington. In 2012, he tutored rookie Robert Griffin III, who became the first QB in team history to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and the first rookie QB in franchise annals to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Washington finished 10-6 on the season, taking home its first NFC East crown in 13 years. Griffin completed 258 of 393 passes (65.6 percent) for 3,200 yards and 20 TDs with just five INTs and set NFL rookie records for passer rating (102.4), INT percentage (1.27) and rushing yards by a QB (815). Washington ranked No. 4 in the league in 2012 in scoring (27.3 ppg), the second-best average in team history (27.7 in 1999), and led the NFL with a franchise-low 14 giveaways on the season.
In 2011, veteran QB Rex Grossman started 13 games and posted career highs for completions (265) and passing yards per game (242.4) under LaFleur's direction. In his first season in Washington, LaFleur helped the team finish No. 8 in the league in passing offense (244.6 ypg), the team's best average since 1999 (245.4 ypg). Veteran QB Donovan McNabb started 13 contests in 2010 and ranked No. 8 in the league with an average of 259.8 passing yards per game.
LaFleur's first NFL coaching experience came with Houston as an offensive assistant in 2008-09, where he was part of a staff that helped the Texans rank in the top five in the league in total offense and passing offense in both of those seasons. In 2009, LaFleur assisted offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kyle Shanahan with the QBs as the Texans ranked No. 4 in the league in total offense (383.1 ypg), highlighted by a passing game that ranked No. 1 in the NFL (franchise-record average of 290.9 ypg) as QB Matt Schaub led the league and set single-season team records for passing yards (4,770) and completions (396). In 2008, LaFleur assisted wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey as Houston ranked No. 3 in the league in total offense (382.1 ypg) and No. 4 in passing offense (266.7 ypg), with WR Andre Johnson leading the NFL in receptions (team-record 115) and receiving yards (1,575).
In 2007, LaFleur served as the offensive coordinator at Ashland (Ohio) University, where he helped the Eagles score a then-school-record 440 points and average 528.2 yards of offense per game on the way to an NCAA Division II postseason appearance, the team's first since 1997.
LaFleur began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at Saginaw Valley State in 2003 before working as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan in 2004-05. He also coached quarterbacks and wide receivers at Northern Michigan in 2006.
Born Nov. 3, 1979, in Mount Pleasant, Mich., LaFleur played quarterback at Saginaw Valley State (2000-02), where he guided the Cardinals to three straight NCAA Division II playoff appearances and earned second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors in all three seasons. He ranks No. 3 in school history in passing yards (7,699), completions (560) and passing TDs (67). LaFleur began his college career as a wide receiver at Western Michigan (1998-99) before transferring to SVSU.
Following his college career, LaFleur played in the National Indoor Football League for the Omaha Beef in 2003 and the Billings Outlaws in 2004.
LaFleur's younger brother, Mike, is currently the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Their father, Dennis, was a starting linebacker on Central Michigan's 1974 national championship team and went on to be a defensive assistant coach for the Chippewas for 22 seasons (1976-97). Following his time at CMU, Dennis also served as the head coach for four seasons and as an assistant coach for 13 seasons at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) High School.
LaFleur and his wife, BreAnne, reside in De Pere with their two sons, Luke and Ty.
