Dom Capers Ernest Dominic " Dom " Capers ( born August 7 , 1950 in Cambridge , Ohio ) is an American football coach , the current defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers , and the only man to serve two different National Football League expansion team s as their inaugural head coach . Early years . After playing football for the Meadowbrook Colts in Byesville , Ohio Capers attended Mount Union College in Alliance , Ohio where he played linebacker and defensive tackle . He is a brother of the Alpha Nu chapter of Alpha Tau Omega . Coaching career . College . He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kent State University and the University of Washington . Later he was an assistant coach at Hawaii , San Jose State , California , Tennessee and Ohio State . Professional . After a stint in the USFL , he began his NFL career as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints and was named defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992 , including a trip to the AFC Championship game in 1994 . He remained with the Steelers until becoming head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 . After 1995 ' s 7 – 9 season , a record breaking mark for an expansion team , the Panthers went to the NFC Championship game in 1996 . Continuing to spend against the salary cap , and eventually taking control of personnel matters in 1997 , the Panthers went 7 – 9 , followed by a dismal 4 – 12 season in 1998 , at the end of which he was terminated . After being let go from the Panthers , he served as an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars until becoming the head coach of the expansion Houston Texans on January 21 , 2001 . After starting out 4 – 12 ( 2002 ) and 5 – 11 ( 2003 ) in his first two seasons in Houston , the Texans posted a 7 – 9 mark in 2004 . Capers was known for his abilities as a defensive coach , and for his conservative play - calling on offense . Several TV announcers were known to predict Texans plays on occasion . He was also famous because he kept a 17 hour per day work schedule and sleeping just five hours per night , often on a couch in his office . The Texans announced in 2005 following their record of 2 - 14 ( worst in NFL ) that Capers would be fired January 2 , 2006 . On January 23 , 2006 , the Miami Dolphins announced the hiring of Dom Capers as the team ' s defensive coordinator . There , he served as assistant head coach . With an annual salary of $ 2 . 6 million , Capers was the highest paid assistant coach in the NFL , alongside Washington Redskins assistant head coach Gregg Williams . On Thursday , January 3 , 2008 , Dom Capers was fired along with all offensive and defensive coaches . It was said that the new head coach may hire the assistants back . On January 29 , 2008 , Capers interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for the vacant linebackers coach position . It is rumored that he was offered the defensive coordinator or defensive consultant position . On February 21 , 2008 , Capers was hired by the Patriots as their secondary coach / special assistant , replacing Joel Collier . On January 19 , 2009 , Capers was named the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator by head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson , where he replaced the 4 - 3 defense Green Bay has used since 1992 with the 3 - 4 he used in Miami . Green Bay ' s defensive ranking in his first year improved to second in the league in 2009 , from 21st in the league in 2008 . In spite of being decimated by injuries in the 2010 season , Capers ' defense got even better . The defensive unit ranked 2nd in Scoring Defense , 5th in Total Defense , 2nd in Interceptions , 2nd in Sacks , and 1st in Opposing Quarterback Passer Rating .