There are many last names in the modern NFL coaching world that fans will easily recognize.
Harbaugh. Shanahan. Schottenheimer. Family ties run rampant when it comes to coaching in the NFL, as having a head coach for a father or brother can help boost a coach's outlook a bit.
When it comes to Matt LaFleur, he's a well-known commodity to NFL fans. The offensive coordinator-turned Green Bay Packers head coach has become one of the most recognizable figures in the league for an iconic franchise. So, when fans then see an offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams with the last name "LaFleur," it's easy to make the connection.
Are Matt and Mike LaFleur related? Here's what to know about the two coaches' ties.
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Is Matt LaFleur related to Mike LaFleur?
Yes, Matt LaFleur and Mike LaFleur are related. Mike is Matt's younger brother.
Both Matt and Mike are quarterbacks-turned offensive coaches. Matt played quarterback at Western Michigan from 1998-99, then Saginaw Valley State from 2000-02. He also briefly played in the National Indoor Football League.
As for Mike, he played quarterback at Elmhurst University from 2006-07, also playing safety at the school. Their brothers' father, Denny LaFleur, had played linebacker at Central Michigan, winning a national championship in 1974.
Both Matt, 46 years old as of January 2026, and Mike, 38 years old, then went on to rise in the NFL coaching ranks.
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Matt LaFleur family
Matt LaFleur's parents are Denny and Kristi LaFleur. Denny played football at Central Michigan in the 1970s, at one point holding the school record for career tackles, before becoming a long-time assistant football coach for the team.
“He was always with me on the sidelines,” Denny said of Matt in a 2009 interview with MLive. “He got that college experience from an early age. He was there for all of the home games, the away games. Even for bowl games, he was right there with me.”
Kristi, on the other hand, was a phys-ed and health teacher who coached track and cheerleading.
“I’ve learned so much from my mom, watching her with her teams and how positive she was with those kids, and just how powerful that is,” Matt previously told The Tennessean. “If people know you believe in them, it raises their play and their confidence in what they can do.
Matt and Mike grew up around football with their dad coaching at Central Michigan, but Matt ultimately decided to play for rival Western Michigan in college after Central Michigan fired Denny in 1997. Their grandfather, Bob Barringer, also coached football for nine years at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
As for Matt's own family, he is married to BreAnne LaFleur, and the couple shares two sons together named Luke and Ty. In 2010, BreAnne told MLive that she had a career as a pharmaceutical representative.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” she told MLive. “I have a career (as a pharmaceutical representative), where there aren’t a ton of jobs available. Hopefully I can find a position where I can transfer. Then we have to get a moving company… It’ll be one of the easier moves we’ve made since I won’t have to do everything.”
Matt and BreAnne met when he was an offensive assistant at Central Michigan University, as BreAnnewas working as a student trainer there.
“Ironically enough, we met on a football field,” Matt told The Athletic. “I saw her just around town one day and we struck up a conversation. We’ve been together ever since.”
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Mike LaFleur family
The brother of Matt and the other son of Denny and Kristi, Mike LaFleur also has a family of his own.
Mike's wife's name is Lauren LaFleur, per EssentiallySports, and the two also have two children together. Mike and Lauren were married in July of 2010, per Mike's Davidson coaching page.
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Coaching history
Here's a breakdown of how both LaFleur brothers have broken through in the NFL coaching world.
Sean McVay coaching tree
Once an up-and-coming young coach for the Rams, Sean McVay has now built an extensive coaching tree, and both LaFleur brothers can be considered a part of it.
In terms of future head coaches who have worked under McVay at some point, Matt LaFleur is joined on a list including Kevin O'Connell, Zac Taylor and Liam Coen. LaFleur and McVay worked with each other in Washington in the early 2010s under Mike Shanahan, and in 2017, they reunited in Los Angeles when LaFleur became as McVay's offensive coordinator for a season.
LaFleur went on to become the head coach of the Packers, helping build out what's becoming an iconic McVay coaching tree.
As for Mike LaFleur, he hasn't yet taken on a head coaching role in the NFL, so he's not officially part of what's referred to as a "coaching tree" for McVay — but he has become a top assistant to the Rams head coach.
Since 2023, Mike has been McVay's offensive coordinator. Under his guidance, the Rams have remained an offensive power in the NFL, so it certainly isn't out of the realm out possibility that another LaFleur could get head coaching looks in the future.
Matt LaFleur coaching timeline
Long before he became the Packers' head coach, Matt LaFleur had a lot of work to do to even reach the NFL. From 2003-07, he served as an assistant at some smaller and Division II schools, even being a substitute teacher for some time.
After stints at Saginaw Valley State, Central Michigan, Northern Michigan and Ashland, LaFleur broke through to the NFL in 2008 as an offensive assistant for the Texans. It was there that he developed a relationship with Kyle Shanahan — and when Kyle's father, Mike, was hired by Washington, Kyle brought LaFleur with him as a quarterbacks coach in 2010.
LaFleur returned to college in 2014 to be the quarterbacks coach for Notre Dame, but his time there was short-lived. In 2015, he was back in the NFL as the Atlanta Falcons' quarterbacks coach, once again under Kyle Shanahan, the team's offensive coordinator.
In 2017, LaFleur became the Rams' offensive coordinator under McVay. He helped lead the team to an 11-5 record as the league's top scoring offense, using that success to then take the same role with the Tennessee Titans in 2018.
After all of that success and growth, LaFleur was hired by the Packers as head coach in January 2019. He's since led Green Bay to three NFC North titles and three playoff wins.
Here's a look at each of Matt LaFleur's coaching stops.
- Saginaw Valley State, Offensive assistant, 2003
- Central Michigan, Graduate assistant, 2004-05
- Northern Michigan, Quarterbacks coach, 2006
- Ashland, Offensive coordinator, 2007
- Houston Texans, Offensive assistant, 2008-09
- Washington Redskins, Quarterbacks coach, 2010-13
- Notre Dame, Quarterbacks coach, 2014
- Atlanta Falcons, Quarterbacks coach, 2015-16
- Los Angeles Rams, Offensive coordinator, 2017
- Tennessee Titans, Offensive coordinator, 2018
- Green Bay Packers, Head coach, 2019–present
Mike LaFleur coaching timeline
Mike LaFleur's coaching career began similarly to Matt's, as he remained an offensive assistant for his alma mater, Elmhurst, in 2009 after playing there. He went to St. Joseph's (IN) from 2010-12 as a quarterbacks coach, then offensive coordinator.
In 2013, Mike LaFleur was Davidson's offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach. He made the leap to the NFL in 2014, joining the Brown as an offensive intern, then joining the Falcons for the 2015 and 2016 seasons as an offensive assistant under Kyle Shanahan, spending time with Matt.
After Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers, Mike LaFleur followed him as the team's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, holding the former role from 2017-20.
In 2021, Mike LaFleur earned his first offensive coordinator role with the New York Jets under head coach Robert Saleh. He parted ways with the team in 2023, then joined the Rams as McVay's new offensive coordinator, a role LaFleur has held since.
Here's a look at each of Mike LaFleur's coaching stops.
- Elmhurst, Offensive assistant, 2009
- St. Joseph’s (IN), Quarterbacks coach & Offensive Coordinator, 2010-12
Quarterbacks coach - Davidson, Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks & wide receivers coach, 2013
- Cleveland Browns, Offensive intern, 2014
- Atlanta Falcons, Offensive assistant, 2015-16
- San Francisco 49ers, Passing game coordinator & wide receivers coach, 2017-20
- New York Jets, Offensive coordinator, 2021-22
- Los Angeles Rams, Offensive coordinator, 2023-present
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