1958 Green Bay Packers season

1958 Green Bay Packers season
OwnerDominic Olejniczak
(President)
General managerVerne Lewellen
Head coachRay McLean
Home fieldCity Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record1–10–1
Division place6th NFL Western
Playoff finishDid not qualify

The 1958 Green Bay Packers season was their 40th season overall and their 38th season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 1–10–1 record under first-year head coach Ray McLean for a last-place finish in the league in 1958 and the worst record ever posted by a Packers team.

In the immortal words of New York sportswriter and Green Bay native Red Smith: "they overwhelmed one opponent, under-whelmed ten, and whelmed one."[1] The tie came in week two and the three-point win in week five; during the seven-game losing streak to end the season the Packers lost by an average margin of over 22 points and got no closer than ten. The Packers finished 1958 allowing a league-worst 382 points in the 12-game season (31.8 points per game).

McLean was the top assistant on the coaching staff in 1957 and was given a one-year contract as head coach after Lisle Blackbourn was fired in early January 1958 with a year remaining ($25,000) on a five-year contract.[2][3][4] Following the final game of the 1958 season, McLean resigned on December 17,[5][6] which paved the way for the historic hiring of Vince Lombardi in January 1959, who started turning things around in his first season.[7][8]

The underachieving 1958 team was loaded with talent, with future hall of famers Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Bobby Dillon, Forrest Gregg, and Jerry Kramer, as well as future All-Pros Ron Kramer, Max McGee, Bill Forester, and Dan Currie. This is the only season that the team wore blue and white uniforms; the next year they would switch to the familiar green and gold color scheme which has remained ever since.

  1. ^ Maraniss, David (September 14, 1999). "In throes of winter, a team in disarray is reborn". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. book excerpt. p. 1A. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "Blackbourn is fired; McLean new coach". Milwaukee Journal. January 7, 1958. p. 13, part 2.
  3. ^ Lea, Bud (January 8, 1958). "McLean popular choice of fans and players alike". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 4, part 2.
  4. ^ "McLean is named new Packer coach". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. January 7, 1958. p. 17.
  5. ^ "Packers shake up front office; McLean quits, Detroit Lions next?". Milwaukee Journal. December 17, 1958. p. 18, part 2.
  6. ^ "McLean quits, joins Lions staff". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 18, 1958. p. 8, part 2.
  7. ^ Johnson, Chuck (January 29, 1959). "Packers name Vince Lombardi head coach, general manager". Milwaukee Journal. p. 11, part 2.
  8. ^ Johnson, Chuck (February 3, 1959). "Lombardi reception warm, despite cold". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14, part 2.