Hired Feb. 1, 2019, Wendel Davis is in his third season as a Packers' defensive quality control coach. Davis joined the team after three seasons (2016-18) working as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Georgia.
In his current role in Green Bay, Davis works closely with defensive coordinator Joe Barry with a focus on coaching the defensive line in addition to breaking down opponent game film and analyzing their offensive tendencies, developing the playbook, compiling team and player reports and coordinating the opponent scout team. He also assists with special teams.
Last season, Davis helped coach a unit that finished No. 9 in the NFL in total defense, the Packers' highest ranking in the category since 2010 (No. 5). Green Bay also ranked No. 8 in the NFL in red-zone defense (57.7 pct.) after finishing tied for No. 6 in 2019 (50.0 pct.), marking the first time since 2000 that the Packers ranked in the top 10 in back-to-back years.
In his first season with Green Bay in 2019, Davis was part of a staff that helped the defense rank No. 9 in the NFL in points allowed (19.6 ppg), the first time the Packers had finished in the top 10 since 2010 (15.6 ppg, No. 2). Green Bay also ranked in the top 10 in the league in '19 in INTs (17, t-No. 3), takeaways (25, t-No. 7) and opponent passer rating (81.1, No. 6).
As a graduate assistant at Georgia, Davis was part of a coaching staff that led the Bulldogs to a 32-10 record from 2016-18 with appearances in two SEC championship games, the Rose Bowl, the College Football Playoff National Championship and the Sugar Bowl. While at Georgia, he worked with the inside linebackers, assisted with recruiting and helped coach the defensive scout team. In 2017, the Bulldogs ranked No. 4 in the nation in total defense, No. 5 in scoring defense, No. 3 in pass defense and No. 12 in rush defense.
Davis also helped mentor LB Roquan Smith, who was named a unanimous first-team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, and became the first Georgia player to win the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round (No. 8 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Prior to his time with the Bulldogs, Davis spent the 2015 season at the University of Texas as a defensive football analyst, where he worked with the defensive line. He helped mentor DT Hassan Ridgeway, who earned All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2015 and was selected in the fourth round (No. 116 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
Before joining the Longhorns, Davis worked for two seasons (2013-14) as the inside linebackers coach and travel coordinator at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He was part of a staff that helped turn around a 1-9 record in 2012 to 7-5 in 2013. The turnaround continued in 2014 as the Lions went 9-3 and won the Lone Star Conference title. Davis began his coaching career as a volunteer at West Texas A&M, eventually serving as the inside LBs/graduate assistant (2010-12).
A native of Sweeny, Texas, Davis was a four-year letterwinner (2006-09) and two-year starter at LB at the University of Arkansas. He recorded 164 career tackles in 47 games, earned SEC All-Freshman recognition in 2006 and served as team captain as a senior in 2009. He graduated from Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in sociology and holds a graduate degree in education from the University of Georgia and Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Born Aug. 16, 1988, Davis is single and lives in Green Bay.
