Carolina Panthers coordinators, assistants free to interview

The Carolina Panthers’ coordinators will be given permission to interview with other teams, but one of them may not even take that step.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera has given his coordinators and assistant coaches permission to interview with other teams during this time of coaching changes around the league. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott have been two names mentioned as possible candidates for head coaching jobs around the league.

McDermott said he would take the opportunity to interview if it’s presented, while Shula seemed more coy at his plans.

“I’m just locked in on our next game, whoever that is,” Shula said. “And whatever we can do to help ourselves prepare for whoever we’re going to play.

“I’ll think about that when the time comes.”

Rivera knows the importance of this time in the NFL season. By Monday afternoon there six head coaching vacancies with more possibly to come.

Eight times Rivera interviewed for a head coaching job and eight times he was turned away before getting the gig in Carolina before the 2011 season.

“I’m very confident in them taking care of their business, doing the things that they need to do. I have been through it and I want to be fair to these guys,” Rivera said. “The coaches I’ve worked for have all been fair to me and I want to be fair them and make sure they get the opportunity. If somebody comes calling, we’re most certainly going to allow it to happen.”

McDermott’s name has been thrown around the past two seasons, and he had an interview set up with the New York Jets last year before they hired Todd Bowles.

McDermott has put together a top-10 defense for the fourth straight season. He’s 41 years old and comes from the coaching tree of legendary coordinator Jim Johnson.

“I’ve been in that conversation the last couple of years and it’s a direct result of the success we’ve had here,” McDermott said. “This year being 15-1 and playing well on defense again, it’s an honor to be in that conversation. Balancing that is not a concern of mine. If and when those opportunities arise, I’ve prepared for a number of years and those will take care of themselves. At this point I’m focused on what we need to do and the task at hand.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers coordinators, assistants free to interview."