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posted 01/21/99
Head Coach Ray Rhodes today announced the hiring of three more assistants for his new Green Bay Packers coaching staff.
The latest additions include Larry Beightol, named offensive line coach; Steve Ortmayer, special teams coach; and Barry Rubin, strength and conditioning coach.
Beightol (pronounced BECK-tull), a veteran of 14 NFL coaching seasons, comes off an impressive tenure with Miami. Under his direction, the Dolphins' offensive line yielded the second-fewest sacks in the NFL in 1997 (22) and the league's third-fewest in 1998 (24).
In 1996, his first year with the Dolphins, he helped produce Miami's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1978, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, who amassed 1,116 yards to set a Dolphins rookie rushing record.
Beightol joined Miami after one season as offensive line coach with the Houston Oilers. Prior to his Houston year, he spent five seasons in the same capacity with the New York Jets (1990-94). In the latter role, he inherited an offensive line that had given up 62 sacks in 1989 and reduced that number to 21 in 1993 - the NFL's best that season. In that process, the Jets' offensive line set a club record by not allowing a sack in eight of the team's 16 games.
The 56-year-old Pittsburgh native began his NFL coaching career as offensive line coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 1985 and during a two-year stay, the Falcons' Gerald Riggs led the NFC in rushing yards in 1985 and the team finished third in the NFL in rushing yards in 1986. He subsequently served as offensive line coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987-88 before moving to the San Diego Chargers in 1989.
Before joining the pro ranks, Beightol coached at the collegiate level for 17 years - at William & Mary (1968-71), North Carolina State (1972-75), Auburn (1976), Arkansas (1977-78) and (1980-82), Louisiana Tech (1979), where he served as head coach, and Missouri (1983-84).
As a collegian, Beightol played guard and linebacker at Catawba College, earning induction into the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame. He also is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (Western Division) following a standout football career at West Branch High School, Morrisdale, Pa.
Ortmayer is a 22-year NFL veteran, his resume including 17 seasons as a coach. He launched his pro coaching career at Kansas City, tutoring the special teams and also working in pro personnel under Paul Wiggin (1975-77). He then coached special teams and served as director of football operations for the Oakland Raiders under John Madden in 1978 and under Tom Flores (1979-86). Ortmayer later coached special teams and worked in football operations for the Los Angeles Raiders under Art Shell (1990-94) before becoming vice president of football operations for the St. Louis Rams (1995-96). He has been out of football the last two years.
The 54-year-old Painesville, Ohio, native began his coaching career at the University of Colorado under Eddie Crowder (1969-73), tutoring both the offensive and defensive lines. He subsequently coached the offensive line at Georgia Tech under Pepper Rodgers (1974) before taking on his first NFL assignment with the Chiefs in 1975.
Over his career, he has coached in three college bowl games, for eight NFL playoff teams and been on the winning side in two Super Bowls (XV and XVIII) as a member of the Raiders' staff.
Ortmayer, a graduate of Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, attended Vanderbilt University and graduated from LaVerne, Calif., College.
The 41-year-old Rubin, who had been the Packers' strength and conditioning assistant for the past four years, succeeds Kent Johnston as strength and conditioning coach. Johnston resigned following the 1998 season to take a similar position with the Seattle Seahawks.
In his previous role, Rubin's responsibilities included monitoring the team's cardiovascular conditioning (running) program, as well as player workouts in the weight room and assisting in the setup of player nutritional profiles.
A native of Monroe, La., Rubin began his career in the strength and conditioning field in 1981 as a graduate assistant at Northeast Louisiana following his graduation from Northwestern (La.) State University. In addition to seven years of service at Northeast, in three separate tenures, Rubin also spent two years as head strength coach at Louisiana State, one year as a personal trainer to then-Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Bubby Brister and four years at a health club in Monroe, La.
The hiring of Beightol, Ortmayer and Rubin brings to 11 the number of assistant coaches Rhodes has named to date. They join Emmitt Thomas, defensive coordinator; Mike Trgovac, defensive line; Johnny Holland, linebackers; Joe Vitt, defensive backs; Chuck Knox, Jr., defensive assistant/quality control; Harry Sydney, running backs; Jeff Jagodzinski, tight ends; and Ken Zampese, offensive assistant/quality control.