The Green Bay Packers have named Joe Barry defensive coordinator and promoted Maurice Drayton to special teams coordinator. Head Coach Matt LaFleur made the announcements Monday.
Barry has worked as an assistant coach in the NFL for 19 seasons. He comes to the Packers after serving as the assistant head coach/linebackers for the Los Angeles Rams from 2017-20. In his four seasons with the Rams, Barry was part of a defensive staff that helped the team rank No. 2 in the league over that span in sacks (192.0), tied for No. 2 in takeaways (104) and interceptions (63), No. 7 in overall defense (329.9 ypg) and No. 9 in scoring defense (21.5 ppg). This past season marked the first time in franchise history that the Rams led the league in both scoring defense (18.5 ppg) and overall defense (281.9 ypg). The Rams also led the NFL in pass defense for the first time in franchise history and ranked No. 2 in the NFL in 2020 with 53.0 sacks.
In four seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator (Detroit, 2007-08; Washington, 2015-16), Barry’s teams ranked in the top five in the NFL in forced fumbles in all four of those years. His defenses ranked in the top 10 in the league in takeaways in two of those seasons (2007, 2015) and in sacks in two of those seasons (2007, 2016). Other stops for Barry as an NFL linebackers coach were the San Diego Chargers (2012-14) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001-06 and 2009), while his first job in the NFL was as a defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers (2000). He also worked on the collegiate level at the University of Southern California (1995 and 2010-11), University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1999) and Northern Arizona University (1996-98).
Drayton spent the past three seasons as assistant special teams coach for the Packers. Over the past few years he has worked with K Mason Crosby, who made all 16 field-goal attempts this past season to become the first player in franchise history (since 1938) to never miss a field goal in a single regular season (min. two FG att.). From 2018-20, Crosby ranked No. 6 in the NFL over that span (min. 60 att.) with a field-goal percentage of 88.3 (68-77). Prior to coming to Green Bay, Drayton worked as the assistant special teams coach for the Indianapolis Colts from 2016-17. In 2016, he assisted P Pat McAfee in earning his second career Pro Bowl selection after leading the league in punting average (49.3) and ranking No. 3 in net punting average (42.7). After McAfee retired, Drayton helped P Rigoberto Sanchez finish No. 4 in the NFL in net punting average (42.6) in 2017 and earn a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
Drayton was the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach at The Citadel (2014-15), where he played defensive back (1994-98). It was his second stint at his alma mater, having previously worked there as a graduate assistant/secondary in 1999 and then coached tight ends/offensive tackles in 2000, wide receivers in 2001, outside linebackers in 2002 and secondary/special teams from 2003-05. He was the secondary coach at Southern Mississippi in 2012, the assistant head coach/special teams/wide receivers coach at Coastal Carolina from 2010-11 and coached special teams/defensive backs at South Carolina State in 2008-09. Drayton spent 2007 as an assistant coach at Goose Creek (S.C.) High School, was the defensive coordinator for the Seinajoki (Finland) Crocodiles of the European Football League in 2006 and was an assistant coach with the Charleston Swamp Foxes (Arena 2) from 2000-02.
