Live coverage: Mark Murphy news conference

Transcript of Dec. 3 news conference with Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst on Mike McCarthy's firing and the search for a new head coach. Afterward, interim head coach Joe Philbin also answered questions.

3rd & 7 37yd

Just a quick heads-up, everyone. I will be transcribing (and sometimes paraphrasing) comments from Mark Murphy, Joe Philbin and everyone else who they bring out inside the media auditorium. Comments are turned off because I'll be focused on the press conference, so if you're posting I won't see it. I will try to post the question in italics so you can see it. Thanks in advance for excusing my typos.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:38:44 PM
Packers Tweet says it will be Mark Murphy and Joe Philbin. No mention of GM Brian Gutekunst.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:41:24 PM
Here we go, Mark Murphy and Brian Gutekunst

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:45:59 PM
Murphy: This has been a difficult couple of days. It's kind of the worst part of our business. It was a difficult decision. Mike had a great run here. 13 years, kind of unheard in the NFL. Nine times, eight in a row (playoffs). He was a great man. That makes it more difficult.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:47:03 PM
Murphy: I really felt change was needed. Mike's time had run it's course. I looked at the situation with Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:47:38 PM
Murphy: I guess the other thing I would stress in terms of the timing, we all would have preferred a decision after the season. We've been in this situation before. In 2016, we were 4-6. I really feel a team win here and there would have made things different.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:48:32 PM
Murphy: The performance Sunday made it clear a change was needed. Brian was involved in that decision and we both thought a change needed.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:49:08 PM
Murphy: The performance last night was unacceptable.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:49:22 PM
Murphy: This gets us in the market earlier. Side benefit is for Mike. This allows him to focus on the next opportunity for him. The other key is we have four games left. I just met with the team and the players, there's a lot to play for as a team and as individuals.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:50:10 PM
Murphy: It's a difficult time. The best thing they can do is play their best.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:50:23 PM
Murphy: Brian will be actively involved in the search process.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:50:45 PM
LIVE: #Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy & GM Brian Gutekunst
Posted by Green Bay Packers on 12/3/2018 7:45:58 PM
Murphy on Philbin: I have great respect for Joe, as fine a man as you'll meet. He's been part of our very best teams. Another advantage is to give us an opportunity to see how the team responds. Hopefully, we'll finish on a strong note. You can build up confidence and it can carry from one year to the other.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:51:49 PM
Gutekunst: We've had standard. They haven't been met. To come out at home and with a team we felt we should beat. it wasn't acceptable to what we saw.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:52:48 PM
Gutekunst: I wouldn't say cracks in the foundation. We had expectations this season. They weren't met. Things weren't changing that needed to be made.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:53:19 PM
Murphy: I will (be making the hire). But Brian will be involved.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:53:40 PM
Murphy: To me the important thing is the people, the relationship. I'm not going to hire a coach that Brian is not comfortable with.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:54:03 PM
Murphy on Rodgers and McCarthy: Aaron and Mike, they had a great run together. They won an awful lot of games together. This decision is not about one player. This is what's best for the organization.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:55:32 PM
Gutekunst: There's been a lot written about that relationship. it's probably been overblown. I think there's a lot more to it.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:56:00 PM
Murphy: Brian and I talked throughout the whole year. Our focus was giving him the support he needed. We were optimistic we could get to the playoffs. I think the performance Sunday (showed change was necessary).

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:57:42 PM
Murphy on Gutekunst: He's going to be involved in the search. We're going to find the best head coach and we'll both be involved.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:58:11 PM
Murphy on Rodgers: He's free to add input, but he won't be involved.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:58:31 PM
Murphy: Aaron was not part of the decision to move on from Mike.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:59:11 PM
Murphy on Philbin: He's a legitimate candidate. I'm not going to say we're looking for a specific type of candidate. We want the best possible coach.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 7:59:45 PM
Murphy on turnaround time: Well, I would say, I've been around the league a long time, things can change quickly. We've had one of Brian's drafts and one off-season of change I'm very optimistic. The way we've positioned ourselves with the draft we can make (big steps).

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:01:06 PM
Gutekunst: This is going to be an attractive job.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:03:25 PM
Murphy on structure: I don't want to brag about myself, but all of my adult life I've been involved in football. i was a player, I was an athletic director for 17 years. I feel like I'm a football person even though I'm the president. I think this gives the Packers the best chance to be successful.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:04:53 PM
Murphy: We're just getting started. The advantage is to identify candidates. You can start to talk to certain people. It gives us a chance to get a head start.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:06:02 PM
Murphy on McCarthy reaction: He was very professional. I wasn't surprised he handled it as well as he did. It was short.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:06:47 PM
Murphy: Up until yesterday we felt we would get a big win and turn the season around. The performance really solidified our decision.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:07:29 PM
Murphy on involving Rodgers: My door is open, Brian's is open. But he's not going to be making the decision on our next coach.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:08:28 PM
Gutekunst on Rodgers: I don't think I agree he's not the same player. I think there's room for improvement for this team. I don't see that.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:10:00 PM
Gutekunst on season: I think we do everything we can to win these four games. I think it's important to the players to compete and win games

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:10:36 PM
Murphy on whether they'll hire someone before the NFL season ends: We'll definitely wait (until after).

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:12:18 PM
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by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:12:59 PM
That's it for Murphy and Gutekunst. Philbin coming up next.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:13:26 PM
Here's Joe Philbin.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:22:13 PM
Philbin on the last 24 hours: It was a disappointing result to the ballgame. We scored 17 points and as an offensive coordinator you'r not happy. I was in the locker room checking in with the players. Brian came and grabbed me and went up to his office.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:23:08 PM
(Philbin is choking up talking about McCarthy)

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:23:28 PM
Philbin: I know how he feels. It's not fun. I talked to Mike twice. I'm a member of the Packers staff. I love this organization.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:23:59 PM
Philbin: I told the players, I put the No. 13 on the screen, we've got one thing to think about and that's our 13th game.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:24:25 PM
Philbin: We're not going to make sweeping structural changes. We have to play better. We have to help each other. We just haven't had a lot of momentum. We have to play sounder.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:25:27 PM
LIVE: #Packers interim head coach Joe Philbin
Posted by Green Bay Packers on 12/3/2018 8:22:06 PM
Philbin on audition: No. I'm thinking about our practice schedule to play up to its potential. How can we play our best football at the end of the year.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:26:05 PM
Philbin on head coaching position: My ambition is to help this team play its best football. When the time comes, it comes.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:26:40 PM
Philbin: Met with the staff and I said, Let's see if we can identify three or four things we can sink our teeth in and we don't care what the Falcons do. It's more about playing the game the right way and getting momentum.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:28:24 PM
Philbin says it's his 30th wedding anniversary.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:31:27 PM
Philbin said he had two emotional discussions with McCarthy. It wasn't necessarily a blessing from up high.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:31:48 PM
Philbin on McCarthy and Aaron: We spent a lot of time together, the three of us, on Fridays. I know there's a lot made, but not from my seat

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:32:45 PM
Philbin: I have to be the same person. I love coaching, I love football. This is a good group of men.

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:33:36 PM
Philbin: It's not just Aaron Rodgers. It's still a team game. You can't do it on your own. There are certain things he has to do better, too

by Tom Silverstein 12/3/2018 8:36:21 PM

Live coverage: Mark Murphy news conference

Transcript of Dec. 3 news conference with Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy and GM Brian Gutekunst on Mike McCarthy's firing and the search for a new head coach. Afterward, interim head coach Joe Philbin also answered questions.

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