New coordinator believes Packers have right pieces in place

Wes Hodkiewicz

GREEN BAY For Cam Achord, a coach's primary responsibility is to lay a foundation for your football team.

It's a principle the Packers' new special teams coordinator learned more than a decade ago while coaching Southwestern Mississippi Community College's special teams

and quarterbacksand running backsand tight ends, while also serving as offensive coordinatorand recruiting coordinatorand equipment managerand part-time groundskeeper.

"That's kind of where I developed the not sleeping habit, I think," said Achord with a laugh.

Coaching junior college is an exercise in adaptation, education and resource management. Those five years in Summitt, Miss., taught Achord the importance of maximizing every second of the day and prioritizing the fundamentals.

In a wordit comes down to FACTs.

"It's Focus with the right Attitude to Compete and doing it Together," Achord said. "If we can do those four things every day, we're going to end up having success on the field."

It's been almost 10 years since Joe Judge hired Achord to assist him with coaching New England's special teams, but a Super Bowl ring has not changed Achord's blue-collar philosophy.

Because whether you're coaching in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference or the AFC East, Achord believes there is a formula for success on the field and it starts with cultivating relationships, developing techniques and getting 11 individuals to play with one mindset.

That's what Achord looks to bring to Green Bay after succeeding Rich Bisaccia as Packers special teams coordinator. The unit showed promise in four years under Bisaccia, but consistency and untimely miscues were an issue.

Although punterDaniel Whelanshattered multiple franchise records in 2025, Green Bay finished 23rd in both field-goal percentage (82.4%) and kickoff returns (25.2 yards per return) and placed last on punt returns (5.6 ypr).

Still, Achord sees potential while surveying the Packers' roster, with several core veterans returning, plus Whelan and long snapperMatt Orzechsigned to long-term deals.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst also signedSkyy Mooreto aid Green Bay's return units and drafted Florida standoutTrey Smackto compete with veteran kickerBrandon McManus.

"There's an opportunity here to improve and get better and there's already pieces here," Achord said. "You're not going into a situation where you're like, 'Oh man, we're definitely starting from scratch with everything.' There was obviously a lot of toughness already about the team."

Achord would know. He apprenticed under two of the NFL's brightest special teams minds in Judge and legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who heavily emphasized the third phase during his 24-year run in New England.

It was Judge who gave Achord his big break in the coaching profession after the two briefly worked together while Achord was a graduate assistant at Southern Miss.

In 2012, Judge was hired to assist Scott O'Brien with the Patriots' special teams coach while Achord did a little bit of everything during his five years coaching at Southwestern Mississippi.

Judge succeeded O'Brien as Patriots special teams coordinator three years later and tabbed Achord to assist him in 2018. Two years after that, Achord succeeded his mentor after Judge was hired as New York Giants head coach.

Achord remained New England's special teams coordinator until Belichick's final year in 2023, a six-year run that coincided with current Packers outside linebackers coach DeMarcus Covington's time on the Patriots' coaching staff.

"You're getting a guy who's earned the right to be here, who's worked from the bottom up," said Covington, who joined Green Bay's coaching staff in 2024. "Nothing was given to him. He's coached at every level JUCO, I-AA, DI football and then to the NFL (and) can coach every level type of player."

After spending the past two years as an assistant special teams coach with the Giants, Achord was plotting his next move when Bisaccia unexpectedly resigned his post in mid-February.

Head Coach Matt LaFleur placed a call to Achord to ask if he'd be interested in interviewing for the opening. The answer was a resounding yes and he hasn't stopped working since.

A part of that was studying Smack, whom Green Bay moved up to draft in the sixth round. He's one of three kickers the Packers are carrying on their roster, along with McManus and third-year veteranLucas Havrisik.

Achord smiled after being asked during his first news conference in Green Bay about the viability of getting enough snaps for three kickers in practice.

"I love it. The more, the merrier," Achord said. "They're here for a reason, all of them. I think it's gonna be a great competition. All those guys bring stuff to the table. That's why they're all here. They're all professional football players. We'll work it. We'll manufacture it where everybody's getting reps."

Achord has been using a baseball analogy with players since the offseason program started last month focus on hitting singles, and then belt home runs when the pitcher grooves one.

The goal? Play consistent, penalty-free football. Don't allow the Packers' offense to start inside the 30-yard line after kickoffs and make sureJordan Lovetouches the ball after every punt.

That is a FACT.

"It starts with the fundamentals and the techniques. You'll hear me say that a good bit," Achord said. "It's the hand placement, it's the blocking leverage, it's the returner knowing the tracks he has to run. It's all tied together.

"But I think for our guys, it's understanding the concept and then the belief in knowing as long as I do my job, it's gonna set up everyone else out on the field."