|
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Less than two weeks after a pair of botched special-teams plays cost the Green Bay Packers in their NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks, coach Mike McCarthy fired special-teams coordinator Shawn Slocum on Friday. McCarthy made the announcement in a statement.  "I would like to thank Shawn for all of his contributions over the past nine years," McCarthy said. "He was a positive contributor to our success, including helping us win Super Bowl XLV. We wish Shawn, Michelle and their family the best moving forward." One of the worst special-teams seasons in team history culminated with two costly plays in the overtime loss at Seattle. Seahawks punter and holder Jon Ryan threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to backup offensive lineman Garry Gilliam on a fake field goal in the third quarter. The Packers had led 16-0 before the TD. Then, with 2:09 remaining in the game and the Packers clinging to a 19-14 lead, the Packers failed to secure Seattle's onside kick when backup tight end Brandon Bostick let the ball go through his hands. Bostick was supposed to block and allow receiver Jordy Nelson to secure the ball. Immediately after the play, Slocum could be seen screaming at Bostick on the sideline. "Special teams, definitely a tough performance for us," McCarthy said earlier this week in his season wrap-up press conference. "Anytime you give up seven points and have a turnover, it's very difficult to overcome that, especially when it occurs in the second half like it did." The Packers had seven kicks blocked during the regular season -- three field goals, two extra points and two punts -- and finished dead last in the Dallas Morning News' annual special-teams rankings. Slocum had been in charge of the Packers' special teams since 2009. He came to Green Bay in 2006, McCarthy's first season as head coach, as the assistant special-teams coach. Slocum and McCarthy have a relationship that goes back more than 20 years. They first worked together as assistant coaches at the University of Pittsburgh in 1990. Last offseason, McCarthy fired assistant special-teams coach Chad Morton and replaced him with former Florida and Illinois coach Ron Zook. McCarthy also assigned assistant coach Jason Simmons to assist with special teams. Although no replacement for Slocum was named Friday, both Zook and Simmons remain on the staff for now. Slocum is the second coordinator McCarthy has let go during his nine seasons as head coach. He fired defensive coordinator Bob Sanders after the 2008 season.
|
