Report: Packers promoting Maurice Drayton to special teams coordinator
The #Packers are promoting Maurice Drayton to special teams coordinator, source said.
Drayton has paid his dues, from The Citadel to Arena 2 to the Seinajoki (Finland) Crocodiles to the CFL and beyond. Now, he's an NFL coordinator.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 28, 2021
The Green Bay Packers have a new special teams coordinator.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Packers are promoting assistant special teams coach Maurice Drayton to coordinator, replacing Shawn Mennenga.
Drayton, who has 22 years of coaching experience, was originally hired as a special teams assistant by Mike McCarthy in 2018. He spent one year under special teams coordinator Ron Zook and was retained as an assistant by Matt LaFleur after interviewing for the coordinator job in 2019. Over the last two seasons, he’s assisted Mennenga, who is being let go.
Drayton also spent two years as an assistant special teams coach in Indianapolis. After five years working under coordinators, he’ll now get a chance at the lead role for the Packers in 2021.
Drayton has work to do. In Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings, the Packers finished dead last in 2018, 29th in 2019 and 26th in 2020. He will need significant improvement to bring the Packers out of the bottom third of the NFL in special teams.
Drayton coached for 14 seasons at the collegiate ranks, including nine years at The Citadel, his alma mater. He has also coached in the CFL and European Football League.
Drayton played cornerback during his college playing days at The Citadel.
