Tag: Chris Tabor

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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Austin Corbett reacts to departure of OL coach James Campen

Panthers G Austin Corbett saluted his ole pal James Campen, who has reportedly been dismissed by the team.

Another well-respected coach is reportedly on the outs in Charlotte. And now, another team leader has reacted to the second gut punch.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Friday, the Carolina Panthers will not be retaining offensive line coach James Campen going into the 2024 season. News of this departure quickly followed the reported exit of special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who also served as the team’s interim head coach for the final six games of the 2023 campaign.

Tabor’s departure was met by a pretty sad tweet from a seemingly disappointed Johnny Hekker. Then, right guard Austin Corbett, who spent the last two seasons with Campen, posted this shortly after:

Even before arriving in Carolina, Campen built up a rock-solid reputation across the league. Including his two seasons with the Panthers, the former offensive lineman has spent 20 years on the NFL sidelines.

Campen, like Tabor, will now be free to pursue other opportunities elsewhere.

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Panthers reportedly not retaining OL coach James Campen

Panthers OL coach James Campen, like ST coordinator Chris Tabor, is also reportedly on the outs in Carolina.

Well, now both Chris Tabor and James Campen won’t be surviving another head-coaching change in Charlotte.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Carolina Panthers will not be retaining Campen—their offensive line coach of the last two seasons. This development comes just minutes after the reported departure of Tabor, Carolina’s special teams coordinator.

Both coaches were hired by the Panthers ahead of the 2022 campaign, which would prove to be the final season for former head coach Matt Rhule. And both, despite the transition to the next head coach in Frank Reich the following offseason, were kept on the staff for 2023.

Campen came over with nearly two decades’ worth of NFL coaching experience. He previously spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans.

After an encouraging 2022 from his unit, Campen would head one of the most generous offensive lines in football this past season. The Panthers allowed a total of 65 sacks, tying for the second-most in the NFL.

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