The Green Bay Packers are in the process of finding a new defensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Jeff Hafley, who held the job over the 2024 and 2025 seasons for Matt LaFleur, took the head coaching job for the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
LaFleur went outside the box and got the Hafley hire right in 2024, but he must now nail his pick for Hafley’s successor to start the 2026 offseason.
With a roster featuring Micah Parsons and several young stalwarts on defense and LaFleur and Jordan Love handling things on the offensive side of the ball, the Packers have what should be a coveted defensive coordinator spot. Not only will the next coordinator get to lead the defense and call plays, but this is a chance to hit the ground running for a team with Super Bowl aspirations entering 2026.
Follow along with Packers Wire as we track the team’s search for a new defensive coordinator:
Packers to interview Christian Parker
- Ties to Packers: Defensive quality control coach in Green Bay under Mike Pettine in 2019 and 2020
- Recent experience: Defensive backs coach for Broncos (2021-23), defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator for Eagles (2024-25)
According to Jordan Schultz, the Packers will interview Parker for the defensive coordinator job. Parker is also going to interview with the Dallas Cowboys for the same job. The 34-year-old is a bright and ascending young assistant coach who has worked under several respected defensive coaches, including Vic Fangio and Vance Joseph.
Packers to interview Daronte Jones
- Ties to Packers: None
- Recent experience: Defensive pass game coordinator for Vikings (2023-2025), defensive backs coach for Vikings (2020, 2022), LSU defensive coordinator (2021)
According to Ian Rapoport, the Packers will interview Jones for the open defensive coordinator job. He spent the last three seasons working under Brian Flores, and the Vikings ranked among the top 10 NFL teams in points allowed and takeaways over the last two seasons. He has already interviewed for defensive coordinator jobs in Dallas and New York during this cycle.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers defensive coordinator search: Tracking interviews