Wins and losses are part of football, so everyone will have good and bad days to remember. However, situations get more extreme when they involve elements of the human side. For Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, some of these might be the hardest ones.
Last year, for example, LaFleur went through a difficult moment as a Packers head coach when he had to fire defensive coordinator Joe Barry, a close friend, after three years at the position.
"When you go through something together, especially something hard together, you form a bond with somebody, and then at some point that comes to an end for all players and for me, when I have to let go of coaches. Guys that have poured everything into it and for whatever reason it doesn't work out, LaFleur said on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast.
"It's always the danger of hiring people that are close to you. I mean, well known, I let Joe Barry go who's a very dear friend of mine. That was like one of the toughest conversations I've ever had with somebody. You can't prepare for it. That's why you just got to tell people the truth and whatever happens happens, but at least your truth, how you see it, at least you gotta be honest with people."
Joe Barry was the second defensive coordinator of the Packers under Matt LaFleur. They worked together on the Los Angeles Rams, and Barry was hired to replace Mike Pettine in 2021. After three years, though, there was just too much pressure and bad results to keep it going.
Last year, after Barry got fired, the Packers hired former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley—and the early results are promising.
Meanwhile, Joe Barry was hired by the Miami Dolphins last offseason as a linebackers coach and run-game coordinator.
For Matt LaFleur, these tough conversations, whether it's with coaches or players, are one of the big challenges of his job.
"When you have, especially veteran players, who maybe aren't performing to the level that you feel like they should be performing at, and you're going to make a change and set them down, and I mean, those are tough conversations," LaFleur added. "But conversations that you absolutely have to have that you can't avoid."
LaFleur even said, without revealing who the player was, that once the situation escalated to a point where he feared for his physical integrity.
Not every day is an easy one for an NFL head coach, but how they handle tough circumstances ultimately show the type of professionals they are, and how valuable they can be for a franchise.
