Breaking down Panthers’ offensive staff: Brown, Staley lead group of former NFL players
It took a few weeks, but new Panthers head coach Frank Reich has assembled his offensive staff. Led by 36-year-old offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, the group has an intriguing mix of experienced and up-and-coming coaches.
With Reich guiding the offensive game plan, and Thomas overseeing the offensive staff and roster, the Panthers will look to bounce back from the low-scoring woes of the past.
Here is a breakdown of the offensive staff:
Thomas Brown — Offensive Coordinator
Brown, 36, is seen as a rising star in the NFL coaching world. He interviewed for the Houston Texans head coach job this offseason and was previously the assistant head coach/tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams.
While he oversaw Sean McVay’s tight ends in L.A., Brown’s background is largely built around the running back position. Brown starred at running back at the University of Georgia before a brief NFL playing career. He then rose up the ranks in the college and NFL coaching realms as a running backs coach. He also served as an offensive coordinator at the University of Miami for three seasons.
Brown is a really strong complement to Reich and his trio of passing-game guru assistants. Since Brown has a long history with the running game, he — along with assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley and offensive line coach James Campen — can help balance out the play-calling and scheming on offense. Brown will also benefit the running back and tight end positions because of his understanding of both positions.
Duce Staley — Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach
Staley has a long history of working with running backs. He has spent more than a decade as an NFL assistant coach and was previously a capable starter at the running back position. The South Carolina alum took on a lateral role with Reich’s staff after spending the past two years in Detroit.
Staley and Reich have a bond that was built in Philadelphia during the run to Super Bowl LII. At the time, Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, while Staley worked as the team’s running backs coach.
Staley is now set for a homecoming of sorts. He has developed the likes of LeSean McCoy, Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift during his career. He is likely to work with a young bunch, again, in Carolina.
Jim Caldwell — Senior Offensive Assistant
As a former head coach of the Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts, Caldwell has a wealth of knowledge to share with the entire coaching staff. Caldwell is a QB guru, and while his background is largely built on offense, he can provide support to all three phases of the staff because of his previous experience as a head coach.
Caldwell will be Reich’s right-hand man in a lot of ways. The pair have worked together in the past, and Caldwell should be able to extend Reich’s message to the staff and roster.
Parks Frazier — Passing Game Coordinator
Frazier — Reich’s young protege — will jump from Indianapolis to Charlotte with a nice new title.
Frazier, 31, was asked to call plays for the Colts during the second half of last season after Reich was fired in Indianapolis. While the results weren’t pretty, the experience will matter in his new role as passing game coordinator.
Frazier was previously an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Colts, and he will be included in the grooming of the Panthers’ next starting quarterback.
Josh McCown — Quarterbacks Coach
McCown, a former Panthers quarterback, played nearly two decades in the league. Now, he will return to Carolina as a first-time position coach in the NFL.
McCown was known as a player-coach during the twilight of his career. He mentored the likes of Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz as a veteran backup before retiring. McCown will now spend the foreseeable future guiding the entire quarterback room in Carolina.
With McCown overseeing the position, look for him to collaborate with Reich, Caldwell and GM Scott Fitterer on the scouting of the next potential franchise quarterback this offseason and beyond.
James Campen — Offensive Line Coach
Reich made a wise decision in retaining Campen. The offensive line coach worked his magic last season and mended a broken fence in the trenches with a much-improved group. With Icky Ekwonu entering his second season at left tackle, Campen’s importance can’t be overstated.
The Panthers will have two starting guards — Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett — coming off major injuries this offseason. However, with Campen leading the charge, the Panthers are in a good place to rebound.
The future of starting center Bradley Bozeman looms large over the position group. But the impending free agent’s wife, Nikki Bozeman, previously told The Observer that the lineman signed with Carolina last offseason largely due to Campen’s presence.
Robert Kugler — Assistant Offensive Line Coach
Kugler was Campen’s sidekick last season. While that might seem like a low-level job, Kugler’s influence was surely felt during the offensive line’s resurgence last year. Kugler is likely to prepare second-year lineman Cade Mays for a potential fill-in starting job this offseason.
With Corbett coming off an ACL tear, Mays could be counted on to fill in at right guard early next season. With Kugler aiding Campen, Mays should have a solid support system around him.
Shawn Jefferson — Wide Receivers Coach
The Panthers jumped at the chance to hire Jefferson shortly after he was released from his contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Jefferson, like Reich, Staley and Campen, has a long history in the NFL as both a player and a coach.
Jefferson played 13 seasons in the league and was named to the New England Patriots all-decade team for the 1990s. Jefferson has coached in the NFL since 2006 and been a full-time wide receivers coach since 2008. He has worked with the likes of Calvin Johnson, DeVante Parker and Jamison Crowder during his coaching career.
The Panthers have yet to name their tight ends coach, as of Wednesday. On Tuesday, Reich noted that the team planned to name a tight ends coach later this week.
John Lilly — Tight Ends Coach
Update: The Panthers rounded out their offensive staff on Thursday, hiring Lilly to fill their tight ends coach opening. Lilly is a career tight ends coach, who worked with Brown during the offensive coordinator’s two coaching stints at the University of Georgia. Lilly has spent most of his 30-year coaching career in the college game, but had two separate one-year stints in the NFL as well.
Lilly worked as the tight ends coach for Los Angeles Rams in 2016 and the Cleveland Browns in 2019. Lilly will work with Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble, Giovanni Ricci and Stephen Sullivan this offseason. The Panthers are also likely to upgrade the position in the draft or free agency in the coming months.
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
