Mike LaFleur, the brother of new Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, also holds a coaching position in the National Football League. In fact, both brothers – Mike is the younger sibling – hail from a family with a rich background in Michigan coaching. The Packers announced on January 8, 2019 that Matt LaFleur, 39, would replace Mike McCarthy as the Packers’ head coach. He was signed to a four-year contract. Matt LaFleur was the Titans offensive coordinator. He was offensive coordinator in Los Angeles and quarterbacks coach in Atlanta previously, according to NFL.com. Here’s what you need to know about Mike LaFleur: 1. Mike LaFleur Works for the San Francisco 49ers Mike LaFleur is also charting a successful path in the coaching ranks of the NFL. According to PackersWire, “His (Matt LaFleur’s) brother, Mike, is the wide receivers and passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.” That team is coached by Kyle Shanahan, referred to by PackersWire as “Matt’s old friend.” Mike LaFleur has been with San Francisco for two seasons. According to the 49ers biography for Mike LaFleur, Mike LaFleur “began his coaching career at his alma mater, Elmhurst College, in 2009 as an offensive assistant working with the school’s quarterbacks. Other responsibilities included film analysis, offensive game planning and directing the scout team.” In college, Mike LaFleur “was a team captain and three-time letter winner as a quarterback and safety at Elmhurst. He graduated with bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2009,” says the bio, adding, “Mike LaFleur is in his second season with the 49ers and first as the team’s wide receivers/passing game coordinator. He previously served as the team’s wide receivers/passing game coordinator in 2017. In 2017, under LaFleur’s tutelage, WR Marquise Goodwin set career highs in both receptions (56) and receiving yards (962) and his 17.2 yards per reception average ranked third in the NFL. Rookie WR Trent Taylor registered 43 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. His 430 receiving yards were the most receiving yards by a 49ers rookie wide receiver since 2009 (WR Michael Crabtree – 625).” The bio says that Mike also worked as a coaching intern for the Cleveland Browns; as a coach for Davidson College; and as a coach for Saint Joseph’s College. Mike has described the differences between the two brothers, telling The Los Angeles Times, “I can put a smile on my face even when I don’t want to. Where Matt, I would say, wears his emotions on his sleeve.” Matt joked to the LA Times that he saw his younger brother as a “pest” at times growing up, quoting Mike as revealing, “I obviously just looked up to him and wanted to be around him all the time. But he didn’t want anything to do with an elementary kid.” Today, reports The Times, the brothers are close and talk several times per week. 2. Some Wonder Whether Mike Might Join Matt LaFleur in Green Bay But One Report Calls That Unlikely Different sites disagree about whether Mike LaFleur might follow his brother to Wisconsin now that Matt LaFleur is in a position to call the shots for the Packers. PackersWire reports it’s possible that Mike LaFleur could join Matt LaFleur in Green Bay because they’ve worked together before on the staff of the Atlanta Falcons (according to the LA Times, Matt was quarterbacks coach in Atlanta, and Mike was an offensive assistant.) However, NBC Sports says it’s unlikely that Mike, 31, will join Matt, saying he seems content where he is and is under contract. According to NBC, Mike LaFleur “was given the title of a coordinator after last season, and appears to be happy as one of Shanahan’s top offensive assistants.” 3. Mike LaFleur Once Joked That The Brothers’ Childhood Home Resembles Meet the Fockers The family roots run deep in Michigan – the small town of Mt. Pleasant specifically – where the brothers grew up and their parents still live. According to the Tennessean, Mike LaFleur joked that their parents’ home family wall resembles Meet the Fockers because it’s filled with “family memorabilia and achievements.” Their mother, Kristi, recalled how they wrestled each other growing up. “It drove me crazy!” she told The Los Angeles Times. According to The Tennessean, Matt and Mike LaFleur’s parents are named Kristi and Denny LaFleur. Denny played linebacker for Central Michigan, helping the team win a 1974 Division II national championship. Kristi was a cheerleader. MLive.com calls Matt LaFleur “the son of former CMU assistant coach Denny LaFleur.” Denny LaFleur’s LinkedIn page says he was a teacher and coach in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan from 1998 to present. He has a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Michigan. Denny LaFleur “was a Central Michigan assistant for more than two decades before coaching and teaching at Mt. Pleasant High, where Kristi also taught and coached track and cheerleading,” reports the L.A. Times. Denny “lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife of 30 years, Kristi. He is a physical education teacher at West Middle School,” a short bio for CMUChippewas.com read. Kristi LaFleur’s maiden name was Barringer and her dad, Bob Barringer, “coached football at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in the 1960s and ‘70s,” The Tennessean reports. “My first date with Kristi,” Denny told the newspaper, “I was breaking down 16-millimeter game film with her dad.” Kristi has worked as a competitive cheer coach, a teacher, and a softball and basketball coach. 4. The Brothers’ Mother’s Loyalties Have Been Divided at Some Games According to The Los Angeles Times, her two sons’ coaching careers have divided Kristi’s loyalties at times. “Kristi LaFleur couldn’t decide which son to represent when Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur and San Francisco 49ers receivers coach Mike LaFleur meet in an NFC West matchup,” The Times reported in 2017. She created T-shirts with a new name “The San Angeles Rammers,” according to The Times. An old Facebook page of Mike’s says he studied at Elmhurst College, went to Mount Pleasant Senior High School, and was from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. His parents still live in that small town. 5. Mike LaFleur Is Married to the Former Lauren Ball Mike LaFleur is married to the former Lauren Ball. According to her Facebook page, she studied at Elmhurst College, went to Mt. Pleasant Senior High School, lives in Cornelius, North Carolina, and is from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The couple has a daughter named Addison. They married in Mount Pleasant in 2010, according to the wedding announcement. “The bride is the daughter of Michael and Cathryn Ball of Mt. Pleasant. The groom is the son of Dennis and Kristi LaFleur of Mt. Pleasant. Pastor Mark Christian officiated the double-ring wedding ceremony,” the wedding announcement in the Morning Sun reads. Matt LaFleur served as his brother’s best man. The bride had “a marketing degree and is employed by the Fifth Third Bank Marketing Department,” the announcement said at that time. Matt LaFleur is also married – to wife, BreAnne.<doc-sep>GREEN BAY — Having a little brother 7½ years younger can be … well, let Matt LaFleur finish that sentence. “A pain in the butt,” the Green Bay Packers new head coach said with a chuckle Thursday morning, during an interview on ESPN Wisconsin. “He was certainly a pest — and he still is a little bit of a pest to me.” That may be true — although LaFleur was clearly joking — but this much is certain: He definitely wanted his younger brother, Mike, on his staff in Green Bay. Instead, the San Francisco 49ers blocked the Packers from pursuing Mike, the team’s wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator. The elder LaFleur was also interested in Mike McDaniel, the 49ers run-game coordinator, but head coach Kyle Shanahan denied that request as well. “You get an opportunity like this, you want the guys that you know and that know you and that you trust, and that are great football coaches,” Matt said. “That’s why Kyle kept (them) in San Francisco.”<doc-sep>Michigan native Matt LaFleur will get his fourth different coaching job in the past four years after landing a head coaching job Monday for one of the most storied football teams in the NFL. According to ESPN and the NFL Network, the Green Bay Packers offered their head coaching job to the 39-year-old LaFleur, who was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans last season. NFL Network reported Tuesday that LaFleur agreed to a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year. Done deal: The #Packers and Matt LaFleur agreed to a four-year contract with a fifth-year option, source said. Strong numbers for a first-time coach. They got their guy. — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 8, 2019 LaFleur replaces interim coach Joe Philbin, who was 2-2 after taking over for Mike McCarthy 12 games into the season. The Packers were 6-9-1 in 2018, falling 31-0 to the Detroit Lions in the season finale. LaFleur, the son of former Central Michigan University assistant coach Denny LaFleur, graduated from Mount Pleasant High School before going to Western Michigan as a receiver. He transferred to Saginaw Valley State University, where he quarterbacked the Cardinals to three playoff appearances and a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. He coached at SVSU, Central Michigan, Northern Michigan and Ashland (Ohio), before jumping to the NFL, where he joined Kyle Shanahan with the Houston Texans. He became the Washington Redskins' quarterback coach from 2010 until 2013 to coach Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins before joining the Notre Dame staff for the 2014 season. Congrats to Matt Lafleur and his family! Great coach, better guy! https://t.co/wse51jllCQ — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 8, 2019 LaFleur took the job as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Jared Goff in 2017. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons for two seasons, including the 2016 Super Bowl season, working with Matt Ryan. The Packers interviewed LaFleur on Sunday, one of 10 head coaching candidates interviewed. Other candidates included former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and Adam Gase, another Michigan native who played for Marshall High School and Michigan State University. The Titans were 25th in the NFL in total yards and 29th in passing yards behind quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Blaine Gabbert. But Tennessee ranked No. 1 in the NFL in expected completion percentage.<doc-sep>
The Green Bay Packers formally announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their next head coach on Tuesday, replacing Mike McCarthy with the recent Titans offensive coordinator. LaFleur has begun filling out his coaching staff, but it will likely not include his brother Mike. Matt Maiocco reported on Monday that Mike LaFleur, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, would not be headed to Green Bay. It’s difficult to break down who is responsible for what on offense given Kyle Shanahan’s influence on that side of the ball. That being said, it was certainly an interesting season for the 49ers receivers and passing game as a whole. The veterans, Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin, both took a step back. Garçon dealt with injuries throughout the season before finally ending up on injured reserve, and is a candidate to be released this offseason. Goodwin struggled with consistency amidst a family issue. Meanwhile, second-year receiver Kendrick Bourne and rookie Dante Pettis both showed signs of emerging as significant options. Bourne replaced Garçon in the starting lineup, while Pettis eventually took over Goodwin’s role. They finished second and third on the team in receiving, with Pettis emerging as a hot option before hurting his knee. This is a big offseason for the 49ers defense, but we will likely also see the team add some kind of pass catching option. It might be a tight end to complement George Kittle, or it could be a young receiver in the draft. Additionally, Richie James and Steven Dunbar are two young receivers that will need to take a step forward this offseason to fend off potential challengers. LaFleur will be plenty busy heading into the offseason workout program and then training camp.