by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not know if he will play in the NFL again, but he is certain of one thing: Rich Bisaccia should be an NFL head coach.
“If anybody ever called me for a reference, Rich Bisaccia is a name that’s been floating around out there that I would give a ringing endorsement to,” Rodgers said during his Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” referring to the Packers’ coordinator for special teams. “I’m a huge, huge fan of his.”
Bisaccia, who led a resurgent Packers special teams team in 2022, is seeking the Indianapolis Colts head coaching job. He will reportedly have another interview with the Colts, according to the Indy Star.
Rodgers gave a long list of reasons why Bisaccia is the perfect choice.
Among them include Bisaccia’s “unbelievable” ability to control a player’s room through accountability and respect. Bisaccia is “very thoughtful, very sharp” who brings “love” to his relationship, which Rodgers said is the “perfect combination.”
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“He’s a prototypical leader who wants to be respected more than he’s liked,” said Rodgers, who explained that this is his approach to being a leader as well. “You have someone showing you how much they care and love you, and it’s real.”
“Contrary to popular thought, there aren’t many Rich Bisaccia types out there,” Rodgers later said. – Not many people are like that.
Under Bisaccia, the Packers improved significantly on special teams in 2022, jumping 10 spots from last in 2021 to 22nd in Rick Gosselin’s annual NFL rankings, and had their first All-Pro kickoff returner in team history in Keisean Nixon.
“He definitely changed that phase of our team,” Rodgers said.
Bisaccia was hired by the Packers last offseason to fix a long-struggling special teams unit, none more evident than during the team’s 2021 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Bisaccia has spent 40 years coaching across the NFL and college ranks. He joined the NFL in 2002 and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in his first season as the team’s special teams coordinator. He has also been an assistant head coach for five teams in his college and NFL coaching career.
Bisaccia, who has never been a head coach at any level, is 62 years old.
“I think in this league it’s harder for older coaches to get jobs,” Rodgers said. “I think we can all agree on that. It’s not a sensational statement. There’s not a lot of 60-year-old guys getting head coaching jobs. It’s less and less because most teams want to go with the young, up-and-coming guy. . “
Bisaccia, who was 7-5 as interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 after Jon Gruden resigned in early October that season amid controversy, was passed over for the permanent job in favor of Josh McDaniels, who was 45 years old at the the time. McDaniels’ Raiders went 6-11 this season.
Rodgers said Bisaccia has “paid his dues”.
“Everybody loves Rich,” Rodgers added. “You want to be a player’s coach, it’s not about being liked. It’s about being respected first … And Rich Bisaccia understands that to a T.”
