Are any Packers coaches winless against the Bears?

I’m so glad and horrified that you asked! There are two. As I noted above, our last win against Green Bay came against interim head coach Joe Philbin following the team’s firing of Mike McCarthy. Philbin was replaced in 2019 by Matt LaFleur, who is, obviously, undefeated against the Bears, leaving Philbin at 0-1 lifetime.

The only full-time Packers coach to go winless against the Bears was a Bears legend: Ray “Scooter” McLean, a Bears scatback on the dynasty teams of the 40s who then went to the Packers as an assistant in 1951 under head coach Gene Ronzani, another ex-Bear who starred mostly in the 1930s but returned in 1944 for the war-torn Bears club where he was teammates with McLean.

(For more on the experience of playing on both sides of the rivalry, Dan Pompei wrote this excellent piece in November, including great anecdotes from Ron Cox!)

When Ronzani was fired during the 1953 season, McLean and Hugh Devore were interim co-coaches for the final two games of the season, but did not play the Bears. McLean stayed on as an assistant under coach Lisle Blackbourn, and then succeeded him in 1958, coaching one year with a 1-10-1 record, including getting swept by the Bears. The team hired Vince Lombardi to replace McLean, who went to the Lions as backfield coach under yet another ex-Bear and former teammate, end George Wilson.

Alright, enough of that. Yes, I’m sad to say, Matt Eberflus is the only head coach in the Bears-Packers rivalry who coached more than one season and never beat said rival.

Packers head coaches in order of wins vs. the Bears:

  • Curly Lambeau: 21-35-5
  • Mike McCarthy: 19-7
  • Vince Lombardi: 13-5
  • Mike Holmgren: 12-2
  • MATT LaFLEUR: 11-0
  • Mike Sherman: 8-4
  • Dan Devine: 6-2
  • Bart Starr: 6-10
  • Phil Bengtson: 4-2
  • Gene Ronzani: 2-5-1
  • Lisle Blackbourne: 2-6
  • Lindy Infante: 2-6
  • Ray Rhodes: 1-1
  • Forrest Gregg: 1-7
  • Ray McLean: 0-2
  • Joe Philbin (interim): 0-1
  • Hugh Devore (interim): 0-0

The Bears will close the season at Lambeau Field on January 5. Considering our last win against Green Bay was against their interim head coach, just think of how poetic it will be when interim head coach Thomas Brown leads us to break our Bears-Packers rivalry record 11-game losing streak! I love when a good plan comes together.

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