Tag: Chris Tabor

Darren Rizzi spoke with Dan Campbell after being named Saints interim coach

Darren Rizzi spoke with Dan Campbell after being named Saints interim coach. He had a front-row seat when Campbell was the Dolphins’ interim coach:

Did you know Darren Rizzi coached with Dan Campbell? Both men were on staff with the Miami Dolphins way back in 2015. Before he rose to  prominence as the Detroit Lions’ biggest personality, Campbell was raising eyebrows by running Oklahoma drills to set the tone in his first practice as the Dolphins’ interim coach.

After getting a laugh at that — of course the kneecap-biter ran physical one-on-one Oklahoma drills — Rizzi confirmed that he had spoken with Campbell after being named Saints interim coach. That’s an experience he felt he could draw from.

“I did speak with him, had a nice, long conversation with him,” Rizzi began, speaking Wednesday. “Dan’s a close friend. Dan’s quite frankly, if not the biggest reason I’m here, certainly one of them. One of the first things he said to me the other morning was, ‘Rizz, when we did this we did it together. Remember we did A, B, and C, we did X, Y, and Z.’ And I thought those were great things we did.”

Campbell wasn’t the only resource he pulled from. Rizzi also spoke with Todd Bowles (another former coworker with interim coach experience, now a head coach like Campbell), and Chris Tabor, another special teams coach who led the Carolina Panthers last year as their interim head coach. He said he also sought advice from legendary coach Bill Parcells, Sean Payton’s famous mentor.

“Dan, all those guys had some great advice, I certainly took it in,” Rizzi added.

We’ll see if it made a difference. Rizzi said in clear terms that the Saints are not throwing in the towel on this season. They have a tense rivalry game to win this weekend with an Atlanta Falcons team that’s already beaten them once this season, and then the back half of their schedule laid out through January. He’ll have every opportunity to put those lessons learned from Campbell, Bowles, Tabor and Parcellls to good use.

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A stark contrast between the Commanders and Panthers

The Commanders and Panthers are in totally different places — a good thing for Washington.

The Panthers organization is in bad shape.

Not only are the Panthers 1-5, but they also have the NFL’s worst point differential this season. And it is not even close. How bad is it? Well, after only six games, the Panthers have already been outscored by 100 points, and the closest to them (Jaguars) are a -65.

Therefore, in only six games, the Panthers are averaging not only being the worst team but the worst team by a touchdown more than anyone else.

Their new head coach, Dave Canales, is in his first season as an NFL head coach. Is it perhaps more telling that Canales got the job after only one season as an NFL coordinator?

Which brings us to majority owner David Tepper. Tepper took over the Panthers in 2019, fired Ron Rivera midseason, and has since kept the revolving door busy.

Tepper fired Rivera and appointed Perry Fewell to finish out 2019. Tepper then hired Matt Rhule in 2020, but during the 2022 season, Rhule was given the pink slip, and Steve Wilks was tabbed as interim head coach to conclude 2022.

Frank Reich was Tepper’s next choice as head coach in 2023. However, after only 11 games, Reich was fired, leaving Chris Tabor to finish the season.

Canales accepted the offer, resulting in Tepper being his boss while Canales took on his first NFL head coaching position. By the way, Washington had not yet hired Dan Quinn.

Tepper wanted QB Bryce Young (Alabama) and traded entirely too much, moving from the No. 9 position in the 2023 draft to the top position. C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) was certainly available, but Tepper got his choice.

The Texans rebounded to a winning season in 2023, while the Panthers finished an NFL-worst 2-15. They are still without the top pick in the 2024 draft because Tepper gave it up to get Young in 2023.

How might Panthers fans feel Sunday when watching the Panthers face Jayden Daniels, who could have been their choice this year if Tepper had not traded up for Young?

All week, the Commanders have heard from the DMV fan base, NFL media, and local media that Washington is now the favorite to win the NFC East.

But that is not solely because Washington is invincible. No, the Commanders have several roster needs that will be addressed next offseason.

Yet, for now, Commanders fans can be very thankful that their owner is Josh Harris, not David Tepper, their GM is Adam Peters, their head coach is Dan Quinn, and their quarterback is Jayden Daniels.

 

Titans interviewed Chris Tabor for special teams coordinator

The Titans reportedly interviewed former Panthers special teams coordinator Chris Tabor for the same role.

The Tennessee Titans reportedly have their second known candidate for their special teams coordinator vacancy.

According to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, the Titans interviewed former Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator and interim head coach, Chris Tabor, for their opening.

Tabor was hired by the Panthers in 2022 and had interim head coach added to his title after former Carolina head coach Frank Reich was fired during the 2023 campaign.

According to NFL analyst Rick Gosselin, the Panthers sported the fourth-best special teams unit in 2022 before falling to No. 23 last season.

Prior to his stint in Carolina, Tabor served as special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2011-17) and Chicago Bears (2018-21).

The Titans routinely had lackluster special teams units during the nearly six-season tenure of former special teams coordinator, Craig Aukerman, who was fired during the 2023 campaign.

The only other special teams coordinator interview for the Titans that has been reported was with former New York Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who has since been hired to the same role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Panthers name Tracy Smith as new ST coordinator

The Panthers have hired another familiar face to HC Dave Canales.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has brought on another familiar face to help establish his culture.

As announced by the organization on Thursday afternoon, Tracy Smith has been hired as the new special teams coordinator. The Panthers, in the same release, also made the hire of offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and the return of defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero official.

Smith, most recently, worked as an assistant special teams coach for the Seattle Seahawks. His 15 years of NFL service also include stops with the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers, the then-Oakland Raiders and the Houston Texans—for whom he served as special teams coordinator for in 2020.

The Beaumont, Texas native shared a sideline with Canales in 2021 and 2022, when Canales served as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Seahawks.

He will now replace the role previously held by Chris Tabor, who also stepped in as the team’s interim head coach for the final six games of the 2023 campaign.

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Tracking all of the Panthers’ coaching departures in 2024

Here’s who the Panthers are moving on from as they rebuild their coaching staff for 2024

The Carolina Panthers are, once again, going out with the old and in with the new.

So now that we’re tallying up the new, let’s also keep track of the old.

Here are the team’s coaching departures heading into the 2024 campaign:

Panthers reportedly interview Bills assistant for STC job

Per ESPN, the Panthers have interviewed Buffalo’s Cory Harkey for their special teams coordinator job.

Perhaps the Charlotte-to-Buffalo pipeline could run back the other way, too.

According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Carolina Panthers have interviewed Buffalo Bills assistant special teams coordinator Cory Harkey for their special teams coordinator job.

Harkey, a former tight end, cracked into the NFL in 2012 as an undrafted free agent for the then-St. Louis Rams. The Chino Hills, Calif. native and UCLA product ended up playing five seasons in the league, recording 27 receptions for 215 yards and three touchdowns.

His coaching career began in 2019, as a tight ends coach at Azusa Pacific University. He also went on to Tennessee State University in 2021 for the same role.

The NFL came calling back last season, when Harkey was hired as the Bills’ assistant special teams coach.

In addition to Harkey, Carolina has also reportedly expressed interest in Seattle’s Tracy Smith for their special teams coordinator opening—made vacant by the departure of Chris Tabor.

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Ejiro Evero reportedly has 2nd HC interview with Seahawks on Saturday

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Panthers DC Ejiro Evero has a second interview for the Seahawks’ HC job today.

Ejiro Evero’s time in Charlotte may already be coming to an end. And if it is, he may have a few exit strategies available to him.

One of those could be an even greater opportunity out west, as the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly holding a second interview with the Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator on Saturday for their head-coaching vacancy. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter was first with the news this morning.

Evero, who also reached the second stage of the Atlanta Falcons’ search, impressed in his first year with the organization. Despite a catalog of injuries to key players and a lack of complementary football from the team’s struggling offense, the Panthers finished fourth in total defense this past season.

His future in Carolina, however, is more uncertain than it’s ever been this offseason.

With the new duo of president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales now in place, the coaching staff may experience quite an overhaul in the coming weeks. We already saw the first dominoes drop last night, as the team is seemingly planning on parting ways with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor and offensive line coach James Campen.

Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is also likely on the outs. The Panthers have reportedly requested interviews with Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik and Philadelphia Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady for Brown’s position.

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Panthers blocked Giants from interviewing Chris Tabor and then fired him

The Carolina Panthers blocked the New York Giants from interviewing Chris Tabor for their STC vacancy and then fired him on Friday.

Shortly after firing Thomas McGaughey, the New York Giants embarked on their search to find a new special teams coordinator.

As part of that search, they requested an interview with Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who had also served as the team’s interim head coach following Frank Reich’s firing.

The Panthers denied that request.

It wasn’t the first interview request the Giants had rebuffed during this cycle but it did turn out to be a costly rejection for Tabor.

On Friday, the Panthers informed Tabor that he would not be retained despite two years remaining on his contract. He was passed over for the head coaching job, which went to Dave Canales, and will be replaced as the special teams coordinator.

The business side of the NFL is ruthless. And while Panthers owner David Tepper looks like the bad guy in this situation — and he often is — Josh Norris reports that Tepper actually suggested Canales keep Tabor on staff.

Canales opted to build his staff from scratch instead and now Tabor is free to interview elsewhere — just not with the Giants.

On Thursday, 24 hours before Tabor was set free, the Giants officially hired Michael Ghobrial as their new special teams coordinator.

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Panthers fans react to departures of Chris Tabor and James Campen

Panthers fans gave their sendoffs to Chris Tabor and James Campen, both of whom are reportedly out in Carolina.

On Friday, the Carolina Panthers took another step in their reconstruction—reportedly parting ways with both special teams coordinator Chris Tabor and offensive line coach James Campen.

As opposed to last offseason, when the two were retained in the transition from Matt Rhule to Frank Reich, the organization has taken a tough step forward in their fresh direction with new head coach Dave Canales.

Here’s how their fans are feeling about the departures:

Panthers reportedly request interview with Seahawks’ Tracy Smith for STC job

The Panthers’ search for a new special teams coordinator has begun.

The Carolina Panthers have begun the search for their next special teams coordinator.

According to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, the team has requested permission to interview Seattle Seahawks assistant special teams coach Tracy Smith for their new opening. The position was made vacant earlier this evening with the Panthers reportedly choosing not to retain Chris Tabor for a third season.

Smith has 15 years of NFL coaching experience. In addition to Seattle, he has picked up stops in Cleveland, San Francisco, Oakland and Houston—where he was the special teams coordinator in 2020.

The Beaumont, Texas native shared a sideline with new Panthers head coach Dave Canales in 2021 and 2022, when Canales served as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Seahawks.

Along with Smith, the Panthers have also reportedly requested permission to speak with two candidates for their offensive coordinator job—Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik and Philadelphia Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady.

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