Rhodes Is Packers New Coach

Ray Rhodes, fired as the Philadelphia Eagles' coach two weeks ago, was hired as coach of the Green Bay Packers Monday, succeeding Mike Holmgren.

Rhodes, speaking at a news conference at Lambeau Field, said his new job was "a dream come true."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, quoting unidentified sources, said Rhodes received a four-year contract that will pay him about $1 million a year, about half what Holmgren made before leaving for Seattle last week to become coach and general manager.

Rhodes, one of five coaches let go on "Black Monday," had been Holmgren's defensive coordinator at Green Bay until leaving five seasons ago.

He became coach of the Eagles in 1995 and was honored as coach of the year after leading Philadelphia to a 10-6 record. This season, the Eagles were 3-13.

Rhodes' appointment solves a major problem for the NFL: He was one of only three black coaches in the league and most of the prospects for coaching jobs are white.

However, several blacks remain in the running -- Sherman Lewis, the Packers' offensive coordinator, for the Chicago job; former Philadelphia defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas for Baltimore; Art Shell, the former Raiders coach and Atlanta's offensive line coach, for Cleveland; and perhaps one or two others.

"I don't know anything about Ray Rhodes, but I know a lot about (general manager) Ron Wolf and I respect what he thinks more than anyone else I know," quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said Monday. "His decision is obviously going to be a great one."

Rhodes' hiring is part of an unusual exchange, with Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid going to the Eagles as coach.

"The Holmgren era is over," Packers safety LeRoy Butler told the Journal Sentinel. "He'll b his own man and he'll let everyone else be their own man. It's time for Ray to take over."

"I think the team will be tougher. I think last year we had a lot of games where we weren't tough and physical enough. I know that's something he will stress and something we need."

Former Eagles coach Ray Rhodes will be wearing Packers green. (AP)

Rhodes, 48, came to Green Bay from the San Francisco 49ers with Holmgren and was his defensive coordinator in 1992 and 1993 before returning to the 49ers as defensive coordinator in 1994. He became the coach at Philadelphia the next year.

Wolf said Friday he needed a coach who had been part of a championship team and who could provide a "little electrical shock" for the players.

Rhodes has five Super Bowl rings from his time spent on the staff of the 49ers. During his first two seasons at Philadelphia, the Eagles went 10-6 and made the playoffs each season.

They advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs in 1995 after beating Detroit 58-37 in a wild-card playoff. But lacking a top quarterback, the Eagles fell to 6-9-1 in 1997 and had the worst record in the NFC this past season.

Philadelphia ranked 30th in offense and 17th in defense in 1998. Green Bay ranked fifth and fourth, respectively, and had an 11-5 record before losing to San Francisco in a wild-card playoff game.

When he left the Packers, Rhodes cited problems some of his four children were having living in the NFL's smallest city, as well as the harsh Wisconsin winters. Some in the organization took Rhodes' decision as a worrisome challenge to the team's ability to compete for black players in free agency.

Butler said the Packers, under Rhodes, would be expected to give full effort every game, but without some of the strict policies of Holmgren.

Butler, a team leader on defense, said some Packers players last season were starting to play tentatively, concerned about being criticized for mistakes, which resulted in more mistakes and more criticism from Holmgren.

"Guys played tight," he said. "They weren't worried about getting cut but getting ridiculed. You couldn't laugh on the field. ... We weren't loose enough."

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