Packers hire Sean Duggan, former Boston College co-DC, as defensive assistant

One of Jeff Hafley’s top assistant coaches in Chestnut Hill is joining his old boss in Green Bay.

The bulk of the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coaching staff is in place, but head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley are continuing to add some pieces around the margins. On Monday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported that the Packers are hiring Sean Duggan to a defensive assistant role, bringing one of Hafley’s recent top assistants at Boston College along to Green Bay.

Duggan has worked for Hafley for the last five years, serving as linebackers coach at Boston College for the past four and adding the co-defensive coordinator title to his résumé for the 2023 season. He came with Hafley to BC after working under him at Ohio State University in 2019 as a graduate assistant coach.

The move from Ohio to Boston College in 2020 was a familiar one for Duggan, however. Duggan grew up in the Cincinnati area, then committed to BC and played linebacker for the Eagles from 2011 to 2014. He played in 45 career games, starting seven, and served as a team captain as a senior.

Given his experience as a player and a coach, Duggan should fit in best coaching linebackers, and his role will likely be as an assistant under new Packers linebackers coach Anthony Campanile. In that role, he would be able to reunite with Isaiah McDuffie, who had over 100 tackles for the Eagles in 2020.

The Packers still have yet to formally announce their full coaching staff, however, and will likely do so only when the entire staff is finalized. Currently, the team’s official website only lists four defensive coaches: Hafley, whose hiring has been officially announced, and three returning coaches from last year’s staff: DBs coach Ryan Downard, DL coach/pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich, and defensive QC coach Wendel Davis.