Panthers change in special teams coaching staff

[TheSpecialJuan]

per Joe Person 

Quote

 

Joe Person‏Verified account @josephperson 59m59 minutes ago

Thomas McGaughey is out as Panthers' special teams coordinator, per source. Assistant Chase Blackburn has been promoted, as reported by @alexmarvez.

 

 

 

Quote

The Riot Report‏ @RRiotReport

McGaughey's contract was up at the end of 2017 season, would imagine he was highly sought after with Panthers special teams contributing two touchdowns and the NFL leader in FG%.

 

 

 

 

 

[The Lobo]

Dayum. This offseason may be one of the most exciting/possibly disappointing we have ever had.

[Untouchable]

His contract was up. But our special teams unit was very very good last year. Can't imagine he'll take long to catch on somewhere else.

https://twitter.com/RRiotReport/status/954145034869321728?s=17

[stirs]

A scapegoat here, a scapegoat there.  Ron sitting pretty however

[nosuchthingasapanther]

thread title seriously misleading.

came here wondering why he would be fired after one of the best special team seasons in recent memory.

[MVPccaffrey]

Last season was our best special team performance in years, odd timing indeed.  Hope this isn't JR being cheap

[MikeD83]

Why? Two special teams TDs, very good kicking numbers, solid punting. Don’t know if you can expect much more.

[Mr. Scot]

54 minutes ago, Camvp said:

Last season was our best special team performance in years, odd timing indeed.  Hope this isn't JR being cheap

This is Rivera promoting a guy he really likes over a guy he brought in just because he was available and we needed somebody.

It's probably more personal than performance related.

Edit: Per the article LadyPanther linked, turns out it was McGaughey's choice not to return.

[Mr. Scot]

And yeah, he's not really "fired".  He's just not being given a new contract.

As an aside, it always makes me groan when I see a local beat writer tweeting out news about the local team and having to attribute the news to a national writer who got the news before they did.

Yeesh.

Here's the original tweet by Marvez...

 

 

[rayzor]

fixed/clarified/updated the OP and title

[jfra78]

Hardly knew ya

[Mr. Scot]

He's another guy who could end up with Wilks if he gets a job. But even if Wilks doesn't get hired elsewhere,  McGaughey still could end up on one of the several staffs yet to be built or one of those that has an existing spot open (the Cowboys, for example).

[Mr. Scot]

Transcript: Ron Rivera's end of season press conference

Quote

On any other staff changes: “No. I don’t think so. I think the things that we’ve done are the right kind of things. These are all things we need to look at and evaluate and we’ll go through that process. As I said, it will be business as usual.

- Ron Rivera, January 8th, 2018

 

 

 

 

That was a heck of a process. huh?

[stirs]

9 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Transcript: Ron Rivera's end of season press conference

- Ron Rivera, January 8th, 2018

 

 

 

 

That was a heck of a process. huh?

Yes, but the fan base is excited, so there is that