There will be plenty of people in Massachusetts rooting for the Packers in Super Bowl XLV Sunday, and not just because they want Green Bay to deny Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers another Super Bowl ring.

Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is a Bay State native. He can trace his football roots back to Massachusetts — he was born in Springfield, went to Worcester Academy and really cut his teeth as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach with Northeastern from 1995-96 and then with Harvard from 1997-98.

In 1996, the Northeastern offense averaged 23 points per game as the Huskies finished 6-5. The following year, Philbin moved on to Harvard, and while with the Crimson, Philbin was the coordinator for one of the great offenses in school history. The Harvard offense set 15 offensive records that year, including marks for total offense (4,236 yards) and first downs (217) while averaging 30 points per game. Five members of his offensive squad earned All-Ivy League honors, including Matt Birk, a 1998 draft choice and six-time Pro Bowl selection for the Vikings who would go on to play for the Ravens.

“Joe’s a terrific coach and a class guy,” said Harvard football coach Tim Murphy. “He did a terrific job in every way when he was here. We’d been running the same system for about 20 years, and we had to teach him our own system. But the bottom line was that he was one of those guys who [was] extremely highly motivated, an excellent teacher and a perfectionist. In a lot of ways, those things made him one of those coaches who [was] going to succeed one day at the highest level.”

The 49-year-old Philbin spent two seasons with Harvard before heading to Iowa, where he was the offensive line coach for four seasons with the Hawkeyes. He got his first NFL job with the Packers in 2003 when old friend Mike Sherman was named head coach — Philbin was named as the assistant offensive line coach, and quickly ascended as a member of the coaching staff, becoming the tight ends/assistant offensive line coach the following season

But Sherman was fired following the 2005 season, and Philbin would later confess he thought he’d follow suit. But new coach Mike McCarthy kept him on staff, naming him offensive line coach in 2006. And when Jeff Jagodzinski left to take over the Boston College program in 2007, Philbin was named to the offensive coordinator job, a position he’s held with Green Bay ever since.

While McCarthy is the primary play-caller for the Packers, Philbin is key when it comes to game planning and works closely with each position coach to fit all the puzzle pieces together during a given week. In his time as Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, the Packers have twice gone as far as the AFC Championship, and now, they only have the Steelers in their way when it comes to reaching the ultimate prize, thanks in part to what Murphy called Philbin’s “quiet” teaching style.

“That’s Joe Philbin. He’s not going to give you too much,” tight end Jermichael Finley told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel earlier this season. “He’s real plain, straightforward with everything he does. He’s just going to stress it on the board every day — what we’ve got to do to be the best offense in the league.”

Over the last few seasons, the Green Bay offense has become one of the most prolific in the league. In 2008 and 2009, the Packers became the first team in league history to have a 4,000-yard passer (Aaron Rodgers), a 1,200-yard rusher (Ryan Grant) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Greg Jennings, Donald Driver) in back-to-back seasons. And this past season, Green Bay was in the Top 10 in almost every major offensive category, including total yards, passing yards, average yards per game, total points and points per game.

Murphy isn’t shocked that Philbin has enjoyed success at almost every stop.

“I think in terms of him becoming a high-level coach, his success is no surprise,” Murphy said. “The guy was always fundamentally sound, he was always prepared and he was always very easy going and a great teacher. You put all those things together and it’s not a major leap of faith to think that he’s going to be a success at the highest level.”

Murphy said that just because Philbin is now poised on the verge of a Super Bowl championship, it doesn’t mean he’s changed.

“We have some mutual friends — he’s one of those guys whose good about staying in touch,” Murphy said. “He’s the same guy he was when he was at Harvard, and he’s the same guy now when he’s in the ‘big time.’ He’s one of those guys that you’re really happy for his success. He hasn’t changed and hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from. Just a real sound, fundamental football coach and an even better guy.”