Panthers’ Duce Staley names the two people most responsible for his Carolina homecoming
Duce Staley has nearly done it all in his 22 combined seasons as an NFL player and coach.
Staley lasted 10 seasons in the league as a running back, rushing for 5,785 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. He then earned the title of assistant head coach and won Super Bowl LII during a 10-year coaching stint with the Eagles, before taking the moniker with him to Detroit for a two-year tenure with the Lions.
But he’s never worked in the Carolinas.
That changed earlier this month, when the Carolina Panthers added Staley to their staff under new head coach Frank Reich. Staley’s decision to leave the Lions for the Panthers came down to two factors.
“First and foremost, Frank Reich. Awesome human being — was able to win a Super Bowl with him (with the Eagles),” Staley said Thursday. “We talked about my mom, of course — she’s my heart, she’s my rock. So, if I had the opportunity to come home, I said to myself a long time ago, I would.”
Along with checking off boxes in his personal and professional life, Staley was able to keep his dual role of assistant head coach and running backs coach in Carolina.
Staley was initially given multiple roles simultaneously in 2018 by then-Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. He went on to hold a similar position with Dan Campbell’s staff in Detroit and now with Reich’s group in Carolina.
“It’s different everywhere you go,” Staley said. “But being with Frank, of course, and being in Detroit with Dan — being with Doug, also — you’re able to kind of live the life of a head coach, (walk in) their shoes,” Staley said. “What I mean by that is you’re going in and talking to them, and they are taking you through certain situations, and they quiz you, they test you, they tell you everything they know or what they’ve been through. They share experience with you, which has been awesome.”
Staley and Reich first met in Philadelphia when the pair worked together under Pederson. Reich spent two seasons as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator before heading to Indianapolis to become the Colts’ head coach.
Staley, who developed a close relationship with Reich during their time together, knew he wanted to work with the head coach again during his career. The admiration was mutual, according to Reich.
“Duce is a leader of men, and so his role as the assistant head coach — that’s not just going to be a title,” Reich said Tuesday. “I’ll have him talk to the team, he will have a role — you will feel him as the assistant head coach. But great coach, great person. He and I got really close in Philly and have maintained that relationship.”
In a way, Staley and Reich are perfect complements to each other. Reich is known for his calmness, while Staley is as energetic on the practice field as they come.
“I’m even-keeled — I’m just more even-keeled,” Reich said. “Duce is not even-keeled. I don’t think he has an even-keeled bone in his body, and so, that’s what I love about him. He’s a hammer. But if you’re that type of personality, it has to be authentic and genuine. This guy — he’s not just a hammer, now — this guy is a quality football coach in every way.”
Staley took part in staff interviews during the past two weeks. Now that the staff is nearly complete, he will transition to studying the roster, especially his position group.
Staley got an up-close glimpse of the Panthers’ running backs in December, when the group ran for a franchise-record 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-24 blowout win for Carolina over the Lions at Bank of America Stadium.
“Those dudes are real,” Staley said. “We came down here and got our a— whooped.”
While Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear remain under contract, leading rusher D’Onta Foreman is set to test free agency in March. Staley acknowledged that Foreman’s return is a priority for him, but also admitted that the decision would ultimately be made by general manager Scott Fitterer and the front office.
And regardless of Foreman’s future, Staley — with the guidance of new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown — will lean heavily on a backfield rotation, with designed roles for each player based on their specific skill set.
“You look at some of the backs now, even the ones who are featured, they’re getting maybe high-160s (in carries), maybe 175, some of them, 220 at the most,” Staley said. “Being able to have three good backs, I believe in that.”
