Bisaccia, Clements add experience to Packers staff

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Packers players return to Green Bay for offseason workouts next week. Greeting them will be a coaching staff with plenty of new faces, and old friends in new roles. Two veteran coaches that will likely have a big impact on the Packers success this year are a pair of veterans, Rich Bisaccia and Tom Clements.

Bisaccia takes over as the Packers special teams coordinator. Tasked with turning around a unit that was one of the worst in the NFL, and had a pair of plays in the playoffs that contributed to Green Bay’s early exit.

“We don’t get three downs to get it right. We have one play to make a difference. They have to understand the significance, and the criticalness of that particular play. I think if we can get that across, we’ll play better,” said Rich Bisaccia.

Bisaccia brings a lot of experience to the Packers special teams unit. Twenty years of it to be exact. Over that time his teams finished the season in the top ten of Rick Gosselin’s special teams rankings eight times. Last season the Raiders, with Bisaccia as their special teams coordinator, finished 11th.

“It’s not really offense. It’s not really defense. It’s kind of ‘we-fense,’ it’s us. There’s no other place on the field except the punt team where you can have a linebacker lined up next to a tight end, lined up next to a safety. The success we’ve had on special teams, places I’ve been, is really player driven,” said Bisaccia.

Another new face on the coaching staff this year is a familiar one, Tom Clements, who is back for a second go-around as quarterbacks coach. Clements was part of two of Aaron Rodgers MVPs when he worked for Mike McCarthy. Now in Matt Lafleur’s offense he sees a little bit of old and new when it comes to the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

“I thought he was playing a style more like when he was younger. Playing more under center. In the early years we relied on the running game, and the play action pass, and that’s more of the style that I saw,” said Tom Clements.

Clements said he was enjoying his retirement, hanging out with his dog, when the phone rang. It was Rodgers on the line, and the Packers had an opening for a quarterbacks coach.

“Felt good, fairly confident that he was coming back. The team and he have had some great years. Still have a chance to contend for the Super Bow. I know that’s what he wants, and that was one of the things that intrigued me also,” said Clements.