The Green Bay Packers announced Friday that outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene resigned.
Greene, a former NFL pass rusher, spent the past five seasons on the Packers’ coaching staff. In that span, the team had 204 sacks, which is fourth in the league. Outside linebackers accounting for 91.5 of those sacks.
Green Bay’s defense ranked second in the league in 2009, Greene’s first on the staff.
“I am stepping away from the NFL at this time in order to spend more time with my wife, Tara, and our children, Gavin and Gabrielle,” Greene said in a statement released by the team. “I will miss coaching and will try to return after our kids move on to college if a team will have me.
“My experience here with the Green Bay Packers has been nothing but positive. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity that (coach) Mike McCarthy and (general manager) Ted Thompson have blessed me with. I have a peace about the productivity that I helped bring forward in all of the fine young men that have been entrusted to me these past five years. I am most proud of all their accomplishments and the fine young men they’ve become in this league.”
Under Greene’s tutelage, linebacker Clay Matthews was selected to four straight Pro Bowls (2009-12). He became the first player in franchise history named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons in the league.
“Kevin approached me recently to express his desire to step away from coaching so that he could spend more time with his family,” McCarthy said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire organization, I want to thank him for all of his contributions and hard work over the past five seasons with the Packers.
“Kevin provided an incredible amount of energy, passion and knowledge each and every day he was with us. The dedication he showed to maximizing the potential of his players was clearly evident to anyone that worked with him, and he will be missed. I want to wish Kevin, Tara, Gavin and Gabrielle nothing but the best in the years ahead.”