Carolina Panthers fire two assistant coaches in wake of Frank Reich’s dismissal
The Carolina Panthers fired running backs/assistant head coach Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown in the wake of head coach Frank Reich’s Monday dismissal.
Staley and McCown were both brought to Carolina to be part of Reich’s lauded coaching staff in February.
Staley, a longtime running backs coach, had been coaching in the NFL since 2011. McCown was hired as a first-year position coach to mentor the team’s first overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young.
Staley, who played college football at South Carolina, said he decided to leave Detroit for Charlotte largely because of Reich. As a West Columbia, South Carolina, native, he also looked forward to spending more time with his family closer to home.
Staley oversaw an underachieving running back room in his 11 games at the helm. The Panthers only scored three rushing touchdowns in 11 games and averaged 3.8 yards per carry. That lack of success came even as Staley’s longtime pupil, Miles Sanders, joined him in free agency. Sanders was ultimately benched after a brutal stretch to start the season, as he fumbled twice in the key moments of two major losses.
While Chuba Hubbard saw his stock rise as a starter with Sanders taking a backseat, the running back room failed to find consistent success, which impacted the entire offense.
Staley was a noted advocate for the signings of Sanders and wide receiver DJ Chark. Both players struggled to meet expectations under the guidance of Reich, Staley and others.
McCown, who played nearly 20 years in the NFL, was considered a prospective head coach of the future when he arrived in Charlotte. McCown had gained a reputation for his leadership and mentoring as a player, and after flirting with jobs in the past, finally took the leap with Reich as his first and only quarterbacks coach in Carolina.
McCown mentored Young, who has underwhelmed with a poor supporting cast around him. Young has managed to throw just nine touchdowns in 10 games. The rookie has yet to eclipse 250 passing yards in a game, and he has a passer rating of 74.9 with a completion percentage of 61.7%.
With McCown and Staley out, the Panthers will need to shuffle the deck even further on offense. Special advisor and senior assistant Jim Caldwell has a vast amount of experience with quarterbacks and will likely to take a heavier role in Young’s development. Staley’s successor doesn’t seem as obvious upon his departure.
