Mike Nolan turned down Packers DC position last year

[DannoMac21]

We love reading local coverage of the Packers because it's obvious the readership (and writers) love everything about football: the backstories, the strategy, the profile on the 47th guy on the roster.

We love the minutia too, which is a long way of explaining why we're posting an item on Mike Nolan turning down the Packers . . . a year ago. If Packers fans care, so do we.

Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Nolan turned down Packers coach Mike McCarthy when he offered the defensive coordinator position last offseason. Ultimately, the gig went to Dom Capers.

Nolan said he made the decision to turn the job down for family reasons.

"You could say, 'Well, now you're in Miami so I'm not really buying that reason,'" Nolan said. "But I had a son who was a senior [in high school] and it was important for me to stay close."

Nolan would up leaving Denver after just one season because he wasn't able to work with Josh McDaniels. Capers did quite well until the playoffs. And that's the rest of the story.

profootballtalk.com

[Lurker64]

I'm glad he did. I'd much rather have Capers than Nolan. I idly wonder how much of Nolan's turning down the job was due to him not wanting to work as an assistant over a guy he was once the boss of. He definitely wouldn't admit it if that were the case, but it might well factor into it.

[sheepshead]

I recall his name on the list now that it's mentioned.

[pbmax]

If Bedard is right about Haslett being a choice before Capers (but being unavailable fast enough as he was waiting for the Rams to decide on his fate), then Dom was the 4th candidate. That isn't a bad collection of coordinators to be sifting through.

[Bretsky]

Each year there is a list of qualified and experienced assistant coaches who are looking for new jobs

It really makes one wonder how we've ended up with guys like Bob Sanders, Slocum, and Campen

[pbmax]

The Mike Nolan wanted to be close to his family story is the lead Packer story on JSO. Greg Bedard, that was the best you could do with half the NFL in town? Are you merely OCD and wanted closure to the story that eluded you last year or are you hinting at dissatisfaction with Capers? Or are you just bored and toying with us?

At least last year you got Wade Phillips to make fun of you and you found 3 ex-Packer coaches looking for jobs, willing to talk to the press. You couldn't find Rock Gullickson this year?

I hate the end of the football season.

[pbmax]

Eh. This was uncalled for.