Panthers change direction at wide receivers coach, add longtime offensive assistant
The Carolina Panthers have hired Jim Hostler to coach their wide receivers, the team announced on Friday afternoon.
Hostler, an 18-year assistant coach at various stops in the NFL, was most recently the pass-game coordinator in Green Bay.
He was a wide receivers coach and tight ends coach in Indianapolis from 2015-17 and also was an offensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
Hostler is familiar with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner from his time with the 49ers in 2006.
“Great respect for Norv,” Hostler told the Panthers’ website. “He keeps up with the times, he’s innovative and he’s got a great reputation. He’s a great guy to work for.”
Former Panthers receivers coach Lance Taylor was hired in 2017, but the team opted to not renew his contract, according to a league source.
The Panthers have a young group of receivers in 2019, led by incoming second-year receiver DJ Moore and third-year receiver Curtis Samuel. Moore had 55 catches for 788 yards in his rookie season, and led the league in receiver yards after the catch (7.9).
Running back Christian McCaffrey led the Panthers with a franchise-record 107 catches for 867 yards.
Special teams assistant Heath Farwell was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their special teams coordinator this week, and the Panthers announced the hiring of secondary coach Perry Fewell. That leaves Farwell’s position as the only remaining spot open on the team’s coaching staff.
Jourdan Rodrigue: 704-358-5071, @JourdanRodrigue
This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 2:22 PM.
