Multiple Authors
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Cam Achord, a Super Bowl-winning special teams coordinator, has been hired for the same role with the Green Bay Packers, it was announced by the team on Friday.
The 39-year-old will replace Rich Bisaccia, who unexpectedly stepped down 10 days ago after four seasons with the Packers. The 65-year-old Bisaccia’s resignation came more than a month after last season ended and caught the organization by surprise, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Coach Matt LaFleur was charged with finding a replacement after the coaching carousel had mostly come to a stop, but Gutekunst said earlier this week that it would give LaFleur time to make the right decision and not have to rush into a hire considering that there were no other coordinator openings.
Editor’s Picks
LaFleur picked Achord, who coordinated the special teams for the New England Patriots during a four-year run that included a victory in Super Bowl LIII. Achord served as the assistant special teams coach in New England from 2018-19 before he was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2020.
In 2020, Achord’s units were No. 1 in Rick Gosselin’s annual NFL special teams rankings. Gunner Olszewski earned first-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner in 2020 after leading the league in punt return yards (346) and average (17.3 yards, including a 70-yard TD). Achord remained in that role through the 2023 season but was not retained when Jerod Mayo became the Patriots new head coach. Achord spent the last two seasons as the New York Giants assistant special teams coach.
Achord will become the fourth special teams coordinator in LaFleur’s eight seasons as head coach and inherits a unit that has been hurt by ill-timed mistakes. This past season alone, the Packers had a potential winning field goal blocked in a Week 3 loss to the Browns, an extra point blocked and returned for a two-point conversion in a Week 4 tie with the Cowboys and also muffed an onside kick recovery attempt by Romeo Doubs that the Bears recovered to help beat Green Bay in a Week 16 game.
Among the other known candidates that LaFleur interviewed for the job were: Devin Fitzsimmons (Seahawks), Tom McMahon (Raiders), Sam Sewell (Cardinals) and Kyle Wilber (Saints).
While Bisaccia’s units were inconsistent at times, he was popular among the players and well-respected within the Packers’ organization. He also held the assistant head coach title the last three seasons. It also has come into question whether the Packers have made enough of an organizational commitment to special teams, an issue that predates LaFleur’s arrival in 2019.
“What Rich brings to our culture, this football team, he’s a very impactful coach around here,” Gutekunst said earlier this month. “Certainly, I thought we’ve been better on [special] teams the last few years than we’ve been in a long time. Our cover units have been better, we’ve got one of the best punters [Daniel Whelan] in the National Football League, got an excellent snapper [Matt Orzech]. [Kicker] Brandon [McManus] was excellent last year.
“This year again he worked through some things injury wise and then had a bad playoff game. … I’ve got a lot of faith in Rich and his staff, what they do around here, not only the X’s and O’s, what they bring to the field, but what they bring to this place culturally is really important.”
