Cam Achord (left) was named the Green Bay Packers’ new special teams coordinator on Friday.
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In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is punished by the Gods to roll a boulder up a mountain for eternity, only to have it roll back down time and again.
Every Green Bay Packers’ special teams coordinator has had Sisyphus-like results the past two decades. Now, Cam Achord will take a crack at getting that boulder to the top of the mountain, something countless others have failed to achieve.
Achord, 39, was named Green Bay’s special teams coordinator on Friday, inheriting a position where many men before him have failed. Achord replaces veteran Rich Bisaccia, who stepped down on Feb. 17.
Green Bay was the only team in the league without a special teams coordinator.
“Yeah, I think I look at it kind of glass half full,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said of the Packers being the only team in the league without a coordinator. “This actually allows us to take our time. I think when you get into that coaching cycle, sometimes you’ve got to move fast without knowing everything you want to know about the candidates. Right now, we don’t have a lot of competition”
Achord spent five seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College as its offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach, tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator.
Achord became New England’s assistant special teams coach from 2018-19, then was promoted to special teams coordinator from 2020-23.
The Patriots finished No. 1 in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams ratings in 2020, No. 18 in 2021, No. 16 in 2022 and No. 13 in 2023.
Achord was a member of Bill Belichick’s staff for all six of his seasons in New England, and didn’t return when Belichick was fired after the 2023 campaign
Achord then spent the past two seasons as the assistant special teams coach with the New York Giants (2024-25).
In Green Bay, Achord inherits a special teams group that has been dreadful for more than two decades.
From 2005-’23, the Packers finished dead last in Gosselin’s annual rankings five times — in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2021. Green Bay also finished between 26th and 31st six other times — in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Under Bisaccia, Green Bay ranked 22nd in Gosselin’s annual rankings in 2022, then fell back to 29th in 2023.
Gosselin ended his highly regarded rankings after the 2023 season. In Sports Illustrated’s rankings, Green Bay finished 22nd in 2024 and 20th in 2025.
In that time, coordinators Mike Stock, Shawn Slocum, Ron Zook, Shawn Mennenga, Mo Drayton and Bisaccia all tried — and failed — to fix what ailed Green Bay’s special teams.
Along the way, each had to feel like Sisyphus.
Now, Achord will take his turn at getting that boulder up the mountain. History suggests it will be the most daunting of challenges.
GREEN BAY PACKERS SPECIAL TEAMS RANKINGS
2005 — 32nd
2006 — 32nd
2007 — 7th
2008 — 26th
2009 — 31st
2010 — 29th
2011 — 13th
2012 — 12th
2013 — 20th
2014 — 32nd
2015 — 17th
2016 — 29th
2017 — 16th
2018 — 32nd
2019 — 26th
2020 — 29th
2021 — 32nd
2022 — 22nd
2023 — 29th
2024 — 22nd
2025 — 20th
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2026/02/27/can-cam-achord-rescue-the-green-bay-packers-dreadful-special-teams/
