When Brian Gutekunst was named general manager of the Packers in early January of 2018, it seemed like a solid, though not an obvious, choice.
Gutekunst has been submerged in football most of his life. His father replaced Lou Holtz as the football coach at the University of Minnesota when Brian was 12. Brian was a ball boy along the sidelines. Brian then went to UW – La Crosse, where he was a linebacker with a shoulder that wouldn’t stay in its socket. His playing days over, he became a student coach.
He was obsessed with reviewing game film, and his player evaluations quickly earned the trust of the La Crosse coaching staff.