Tag: John Lilly Unc

Carolina Panthers hire former Georgia football assistant coach

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is reuniting with a former Georgia tight ends coach

North Carolina Tar Heels tight ends coach John Lilly is headed to the NFL. Lilly will be the tight ends coach for the Carolina Panthers under offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and head coach Frank Reich.

There have been a number of college football coaches bolting for the NFL this offseason, including former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

Why did Brown and Reich hire Lilly, a former Georgia tight ends coach? Lilly worked with Brown in Athens during the 2011 and 2015 football seasons.

Lilly coached at Georgia under head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. He was the tight ends coach and offensive special teams coordinator from 2008-2015.

Former Georgia quarterback and current offensive coordinator Mike Bobo previously coached with John Lilly. (Online Athens)

In 2016, Lilly was the tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams. After taking 2017 off, Lilly joined Jeremy Pruitt’s staff in Knoxville as Tennessee’s executive assistant to head coach.

Lilly spent the 2019 football season as the tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns. However, he was not retained when the franchise fired Freddie Kitchens. He coached at UNC from 2020-2023.

During Lilly’s time with the Bulldogs, Georgia had several record-setting seasons: 72 touchdowns in 2012, 484.14 yards per game in 2013 and 41.3 points per game in 2014. All were the best marks in school history. Lilly served as the Bulldogs’ interim offensive coordinator during the 37-14 win over Louisville in the 2014 Belk Bowl and the 24-17 victory over Penn State in the 2016 Tax Slayer Bowl.

He coached tight ends Arthur Lynch, Orson Charles and Aron White during his time with Georgia. He guided Georgia’s punt unit, which featured Ray Guy Award winner Drew Butler.

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Report: UNC expected to hire longtime Georgia football assistant coach

UNC is expected to hire a former Georgia football assistant coach.

Per a report from Bruce Feldman of the Athletic, the North Carolina Tar Heels are expected to hire former Georgia tight end coach John Lilly to the same position in Chapel Hill.

Lilly, who spent eight seasons in Athens as the Dawgs’ tight ends coach and offensive special teams’ coordinator, left UGA in 2015.

In 2016, Lilly was the tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams. After taking 2017 off, Lilly joined Jeremy Pruitt’s staff in Knoxville as Tennessee’s Executive Assistant to Head Coach.

Most recently, Lilly spent the 2019 football season as the tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns and was not retained when the franchise fired Freddie Kitchens.

Lilly will take over at UNC for Tim Brewster, who left to become the tight ends coach at Florida.

Assistant coaches live a bit of a nomadic life, and for Lilly to have eight years in the Classic City was a treat for DawgNation.

During his time with the Bulldogs, Lilly was part of several record-setting seasons: 72 touchdowns in 2012, 484.14 yards per game in 2013 and 41.3 points per game in 2014. All were the best marks in school history. He served as the Bulldogs’ interim offensive coordinator during the 37-14 win over Louisville in the 2014 Belk Bowl and the 24-17 victory over Penn State in the 2016 Tax Slayer Bowl. Both Louisville and Penn State had top 15 nationally-ranked defenses.

He coached star tight ends Arthur Lynch, an All-SEC First Team honoree and fifth-round NFL draft pick; Orson Charles, a fourth-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals; and Aron White, the Most Outstanding Offensive Player at the 2009 Independence Bowl. He guided Georgia’s punt unit, which included Ray Guy Award winner Drew Butler.

Lilly brings a wealth of knowledge to Carolina and may possibly be a secret weapon for Heels. He is highly respected and has a knack for exploiting a defensive team’s weakness.