Coaching Connections

[Mr. Scot]

Where members of the current staff have crossed paths before...

RON RIVERA, HEAD COACH

- spent five years on the Eagles staff working with Sean McDermott (1999-2003)

- worked alongside Rob Chudzinski with the Chargers (2009-2010)

- offensive consultant Ricky Proehl played for the Bears during Rivera's first year as a defensive assistant (1997)

ROB CHUDSINSKI, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

- for two of his college playing years (1986-1987) Ron Meeks was a member of the Hurricanes coaching staff

- worked with former Panthers QB Coach Rip Scherer when he was the OC in Cleveland (2007-2008)

MIKE SHULA, QB COACH

- no connections with current staff

- coached with Rivera mentor Dave McGinnis for three years in Chicago (1993-1995)

- former Panthers TE Coach Geep Chryst was also in Chicago at that time. Chryst had worked for the Bears the last two years of Ron Rivera's playing career.

FRED GRAVES, WR COACH

- was on the same staff as OC Rob Chudzinski with the the Browns (2004)

RICKY PROEHL, ASST WR COACH

- was signed by GM Marty Hurney to play for the Panthers (2003-2005)

- played on two teams that had OL Coach John Matsko on staff; the first being the Cardinals (1992-1993) and the second, the Rams (1999-2002) in the "Greatest Show on Turf" era.

- also played twice for Teams that employed DB Coach Ron Meeks; the Rams (2001) and the Colts (2006)

JOHN MATSKO, OL COACH

- worked with DB Coach Ron Meeks for the one year Meeks was with the Rams (2001)

RAY BROWN, ASST OL COACH

- no connections at all to the current staff, but was with the Redskins when Marty Hurney was in the PR Department (1990)

- worked with former Panther coaches Richard Smith (49ers, 1997-2001; Lions, 2003) and Tyke Tolbert (Bills, 2008-2009)

SEAN MCDERMOTT, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

- worked closely with Ron Rivera in Philadelphia under DC Jim Johnson (1999-2003)

ERIC WASHINGTON, DL COACH

- served as an intern with the Bears while Ron Rivera was the DC there

- was an assistant to Bears DL Coach Don Johnson, who worked with Rivera in both Chicago and San Diego

SAM MILLS III, ASST DL COACH

- worked on the Panthers staff with Ron Meeks when he was DC (2009-2010)

- his father was coaching when Ricky Proehl was a player here (2003-2004)

RON MEEKS, DB COACH

- Chudzinski, Matsko, and Mills (see above) as well as Jim Skipper and Pete Mangurian (below)

BRIAN MURPHY, SPECIAL TEAMS COACH

- no connections to current or former staff

And some potential hires...

DAVE MCGINNIS, LB COACH

- was Head Coach Ron Rivera's position coach for all but one year when Rivera played for the Bears (1986-1992)

- on the same staff for three years (1993-1995) with QB Coach Mike Shula when Shula was on the Bears staff

- spent the past four years (2007-2010) coaching alongside WR Coach Fred Graves in Tennessee

BILL SHUEY, LB COACH

- worked with Sean McDermott on the Eagles defensive staff under Jim Johnson and later when McDermott was promoted to DC (2001-2010)

- worked with Ron Rivera for three years (2001-2003) and succeeded him as LB Coach when Rivera went to the Bears

NOTES:

The only connection Ron Rivera has with any member of John Fox's Panthers staff was with Geep Chryst. Chryst is now a member of Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff in San Francisco.

John Matsko has the most connections to the prior staff, having worked with Jim Skipper (see above) Jeff Davidson (Saints, 1994-1996) Mike Gillhammer (Giants, 1997-1998) Sam Garnes (same as Gillhammer) Jerry Simmons (USC, 1987) and of course, John Fox.

The least connected coach of all is Brian Murphy, having worked not only with no one from the current staff, but no one from the former or even the potential staff. Murphy is indirectly connected to Ron Rivera in as much as he worked with a former Rivera teammate in Leslie Frazier.

[chknwing]

lol Mr. Scot, u cant be married, with the amount of free time you have to put this sh_t together. You just cant be in a relationship.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm home sick at the moment

[Actionman0z]

Sick with the Carolina Fever.

[Mr. Scot]

Another guy with some connections about to hit the market out in Oakland.

MIKE HALUCHAK, LB COACH

- was LB coach in Cleveland during Rob Chudzinski's two years as OC (2007-2008)

- was with the Rams for three years of Ricky Proehl's playing days (2000-2002)

- was on the Redskins coaching staff for two years when Ray Brown played there (1994-1995)

- has three years as a colleague of Ron Meeks (Bengals, 1991-1992; Rams, 2001)

- worked with John Fox and other former Panthers - including Jim Skipper - in New York (1997-1999)

- and like practically everybody else associated with Carolina, he's worked with John Matsko (Giants, 1996-1997; Rams, 2000-2002)

I still think Bill Shuey has a better inside track, but Haluchak isn't a bad option.

[Mr. Scot]

In truth, this was actually less work than tracking down Jim Harbaugh's Panther connections. He had a load of 'em

(not that it ultimately mattered)

[rayzor]

i'm thinking we can probably move past the whole jim skipper thing. i just don't think it's going to work out. i don't really see him fitting in with the rest of the coaching staff all that well for some reason. i just get a feeling he'd be out of place.

bill shuey might make the most sense for the LB coach job, but i was more picturing a former LB coaching for some reason. i'm not sure who that would be, but it would make sense with the rest of the position coaches either being former players or old and tested teaching coaches (with a young assistant that used to play the position).

[Mr. Scot]

i'm thinking we can probably move past the whole jim skipper thing. i just don't think it's going to work out. i don't really see him fitting in with the rest of the coaching staff all that well for some reason. i just get a feeling he'd be out of place.

bill shuey might make the most sense for the LB coach job, but i was more picturing a former LB coaching for some reason. i'm not sure who that would be, but it would make sense with the rest of the position coaches either being former players or old and tested teaching coaches (with a young assistant that used to play the position).

Well, there's Roman Phifer. He's got no connection to anyone currently on staff though (to Mangurian, but we don't even know if he's a prospect).

Maybe they could go for Greg Beikert off the Raiders staff as an assistant.

I think Shuey does make the most sense, especially given that he spent loads of time under Jim Johnson.

I would have suggested Jeremiah Trotter as a possible assistant, but since he dogged McDermott in an interview, kinda hard to see that happening.

[Mr. Scot]

Decided to throw in another guy who's kind of important...

MARTY HURNEY, GENERAL MANAGER

- mentor Bobby Beathard signed Assistant OL Coach Ray Brown to the Redskins in 1989 when Hurney was in the PR department

- former 49ers WR Coach Jerry Sullivan was with the Chargers for five years of Hurney's tenure there (1992-1996)

- former Raiders LB Coach Mike Haluchak was also on the Chargers payroll for two years (1990-1991)

- and of course, it was Hurney who signed Proehl to the Panthers in 2003

[bababoey]

Mr. Scot,

Just to let you know, if you ever get tired of looking up everthing you can find on the panthers and possible coaches online(which just scares me you can find everything about everyone even remotely connected with the panthers). There is porn online too. Just if you need a change of pace.

[Mr. Scot]

I do have other things to do most of the time

Sadly, right now my only other activities are sneezing, blowing my nose and coughing up phlegm

(and truthfully, this isn't as much work as it looks like)

[Mr. Scot]

Updated to add the new hires.

[Mr. Scot]

A little further info...

There's a very strong Coryell connection among the offensive staff, and even one member of the defensive staff.

Three current coaches have connections with Coryell student and offensive guru Ernie Zampese. Specifically, OL Coach John Matsko (Rams, 2002) Assistant OL Coach Ray Brown (Rams, 1987; Redskins, 2004) and Consultant Ricky Proehl (Rams, 2002).

Six have connections with Zampese's star pupil, Norv Turner. Among them, obviously, Ron Rivera and Rob Chudzinski via their recent stints with the Chargers. Also connected to Turner are QB Coach Mike Shula (Dolphins, 2002) TE Coach Pete Hoener (49ers, 2006) and DB Coach Ron Meeks (Cowboys, 1991; Redskins, 2000). The most connected other than Rivera? Assistant OL Coach Ray Brown, who played for Turner for four years (Rams, 1986-1987; Redskins, 1994-1995).