Rebrovich Replaces Smith as Outside Linebackers Coach

Jason Rebrovich has coached some of the NFL's top pass rushes during his eight seasons in the NFL.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Feb 18, 2022 6:14 PM EST
Original:
Feb 18, 2022

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Former Green Bay Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith played in the NFL. His successor, Jason Rebrovich, played at Division III Cortland State.

Regardless of their roots, both men know a little something about coaching pass rushers.

The Packers announced Rebrovich as coach Matt LaFleur’s outside linebackers coach on Friday, with Smith stepping away to “pursue other opportunities.”

Rebrovich rose quickly through the ranks. From 2008 through 2010, he was Cortland State’s defensive coordinator. In 2011, he joined Doug Marrone’s new staff at Syracuse. When Marrone got the head job in Buffalo in 2013, Rebrovich came along as defensive quality-control coach. He progressed to assistant defensive line coach in 2014 to outside linebackers coach in a 3-4 scheme in 2015 and defensive line coach in a 4-3 scheme in 2016.

“I've tied my roots around the defensive line for so many years, so for me to transition from a learning experience standpoint is great,” Rebrovich said when getting his new role in 2015. “Really, the biggest transition is just incorporating yourself with some coverage terms. Guys getting after the quarterback from my standpoint is going to be no different from coaching the defensive ends.”

Rebrovich spent the 2017 through 2020 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, first as an assistant defensive line coach in 2017 and 2018 and then as defensive line coach in 2019 and 2020.

He was not retained by Urban Meyer when he formed the new staff in Jacksonville in 2021.

Rebrovich has been a part of defenses that have gotten after the passer. During his four seasons in Buffalo, the Bills ranked third in the NFL with 171 sacks. With Rebrovich taking over the Jaguars’ defensive line, Jacksonville finished seventh in sacks in 2019 behind the ferocious front of Josh Allen (10.5 sacks), Yannick Ngakoue (8.0), Calais Campbell (6.5) and Dawuane Smoot (6.0).

With Green Bay, he’ll take over what could be a strong outside linebacker corps, depending on the futures of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. So long as one of those players comes back to pair with rising Rashan Gary, Green Bay will have a quality, accomplished tandem as his starting point.

“Understand that the biggest room in the world, is the room for improvement,” Rebrovich said in 2015.

And if Rebrovich is short on proven playmakers, he’ll make do with what he’s got. At one point in 2020, he was down six members of his defensive line.

“My dad raised bird dogs when I was a kid and his deal was if he shot a shotgun and that dog shied away, that dog wasn’t a bird dog anymore,” Rebrovich said at the time. “So, you can sit there and say these are the guys that we got or these are the people that we have and you shoot those shotguns off and you say, ‘Let’s go, let’s blast and let’s get out there and play with whatever ones we’ve got out there.’”

Green Bay Packers’ 2022 Opponents

Here is a look at next season’s opponents. The dates and times for the games will be announced in the spring; the 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. Teams with an asterisk qualified for the playoffs.