New Packers DC brings in familiar face with him

Role and system

Vince Oghobaase will replace Jerry Montgomery as the Packers defensive line coach. Montgomery had been with the Packers since 2015, but was let go and got immediately hired by the New England Patriots.

"I'm naturally a jovial, energetic guy," Oghobaase said in 2020, when he got hired by Boston College. "So whenever someone is excited about a team, it will permeate naturally. It's very critical, being a younger staff and having a young football team. It's important to have energy every day. It starts with the staff, in order to permeate through the whole organization."

When he arrived at Boston College, Oghobaase talked about the system they intended to run — and maybe it's also something that the Packers will execute moving forward.

"We're going to be a primarily four-down front, which is how we can create separation and havoc when we run down the gaps," the defensive line coach mentioned. "It'll be what I'm used to from the past when I was with the 49ers and at Ohio State, not so much from when I was at UCLA. There will be some crossover."

Career history

Oghobaase is a former football player. He played college football at Duke and moved to the UFL for the Hartford Colonials in 2010. He also spent some time in 2010 with the Washington Commanders, but didn't make the 53-man roster.

He started his coaching career in 2011 and 2012, as a graduate assistant at Duke. He held the same position for three years at Ohio State. In 2016, Oghobaase got his first NFL coaching opportunity under Chip Kelly as an assistant defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, where he met new Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. When Kelly was fired, Oghobaase was retained by Kyle Shanahan alongside Hafley.

However, Oghobaase moved back to college football in 2018, when Chip Kelly was hired by UCLA and invited him to be the DL coach. He got the same position in 2020 for Boston College, working with Hafley again — and now Oghobaase follows Hafley to the NFL.

Defensive staff

The Packers new defensive coaching staff is still under construction. Vince Oghobaase will replace Jerry Montgomery, but that creates a new question around pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich. It's been reported by ESPN's Rob Demovsky that he will be retained. The Leap's Peter Bukowski reported last week that his role could be bigger, but the exact position hasn't been disclosed. Defensive backs coach Ryan Downard will also remain with the Packers.

Inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti will move on to the Seattle Seahawks, passing game coordinator Greg Williams will not be retained, and defensive quality control coach Justin Hood has gone to the Atlanta Falcons as a secondary coach. Former senior analyst Tim Lester went to Iowa as an offensive coordinator.

There hasn't been any report regarding defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis.