New Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has added Derrick Ensley to his first coaching staff as defensive pass coordinator.The news was first reported by ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. Ansley’s focus at the position group will be at cornerback. This means he will take over the role that Greg Williams had last year. This means that each working group has a coach. Ensley spent the last three years with the Los Angeles Chargers, first as defensive backs coach in 2021 and 2022 and last year as defensive coordinator under coach Brandon Staley.
The Chargers ranked 28th in opponent rating in 2023 (Green Bay, 25th), 12th in 2022 (Green Bay, 14th) and 17th in 2021 (Green Bay, 10th). Ensley’s rise has drawn praise from star quarterback Derwin James and others. Asked about this at OTAs last year, Ensley briefly explained his coaching philosophy. “The relationship with the players, especially in NFL football, is a give and take relationship,” he said. “What do you like? What styles and techniques do you like? If there is something that can help us improve, we will present it. So I guess it’s a yes and take. Listen to your players, train them hard, hold them accountable and make sure everyone is moving in the same direction.
”He interviewed last month for the Giants’ then-vacant defensive coordinator job. Ensley has nearly 15 years of high-level experience. He served two stints at Alabama as a graduate assistant in 2010 and 2011 and as the defensive backs coach in 2016 and 2017. He took over the defensive play under respected coach Nick Saban. He was the Raiders defensive backs coach in 2018 and returned to college as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020.He played his college ball at Troy, where nine of his 19 career interceptions came during his junior year. His first coaching job was as the defensive backs coach at Division III Huntingdon from 2005 to 2009.”Playing for coach Larry Blakeney at Troy was a life-changing experience,” Ansley said at the 2019 Senior Bowl. “From there I went to Huntingdon and started working with coach (Mike) Turk. I didn’t know if I wanted to train or not, but he gave me a start and that got me started. After doing that for four or five years, I had the opportunity to hire coach Saban, which was a blessing. “I’ve worked really hard and I’ve been given a lot of opportunities and I’ve tried to make the most of them.”After Alabama won the 2017 national championship, Ansley was offered the defensive coordinator job at Colorado State.
He would have taken it, but he took a chance on the Raiders instead.”It happened fast,” Ensley told The Tallahassee Times. “If you do your job well and you do it well, people will notice. I really want to be a defensive coordinator and head coach. This opportunity arose in Colorado. It was an opportunity I looked at very carefully, but when you get the chance to coach in the National Football League, it’s hard to say no. “I always wanted a top coach.”
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