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Joe Brady

Panthers Fire OC Joe Brady

December 5th, 2021 at 12:26pm CST by Rory Parks

The Panthers have fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the team announced. Senior offensive assistant Jeff Nixon, along with the rest of the offensive coaching staff, will take over Brady’s duties for the remainder of the season.

Brady spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Saints from 2017-18 and truly made a name for himself as the passing game coordinator for LSU in the Tigers’ record-setting 2019 season that featured otherworldly performances from future first-round draft picks like quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. That afforded him the opportunity to join Matt Rhule‘s first staff in Carolina in 2020.

The Panthers finished in the bottom half of the league last season in terms of total offense, though subpar QB play and a three-game season from star running back Christian McCaffrey certainly played a role in that. NFL clubs were still high on Brady’s ability, as he received five interviews for head coaching positions in this year’s cycle. As Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, Brady interviewed well, and a number of execs involved in those interviews believed he was a lock for an HC gig in 2022.

Unfortunately, Carolina suffered more of the same problems this year. McCaffrey is now out for the season after having played seven games, and an injury to starting quarterback Sam Darnold also helped to derail the Panthers’ once-promising season. A four-game losing streak earlier this year led some to believe that Brady would be stripped of his play-calling duties, and while that did not happen, Brady is now out of a job completely.

This year, the Panthers have slipped to 28th in total offense, and Brady’s creative mind has not been enough to consistently overcome what opposing defensive coordinators have thrown at him. He is still only 32 years old, but his meteoric rise has come to an abrupt halt, and he may have to rebuild his stock back at the college level.

Rhule said, “I met with Joe this morning and informed him that I have decided to make a change. I’m very grateful to him for his time and effort in helping us get established over this past year and a half.”

Panthers To Stick With Joe Brady As Play Caller

October 25th, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers managed just three points in Sunday’s loss to the Giants, dropping them to 3-4 on the year. Clearly, something has to change, but head coach Matt Rhule says that he has no plans to take play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Joe Brady (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic). 

[RELATED: Panthers, Dolphins Favorites To Land Watson?]

Brady’s offense looked promising early on, thanks in part to the play of Sam Darnold. Unfortunately, the former Jets quarterback has sputtered in recent weeks He was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss, though Rhule told reporters that Darnold will “be our quarterback next week.” There’s no guarantee that Darnold will be the QB after the trade deadline, however. The Panthers are said to be in pursuit of Deshaun Watson and they could potentially outbid the Dolphins.

Brady’s offense would be in better shape with Christian McCaffrey, but he’s still on IR with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, despite all the hiccups, Brady remains a rumored candidate for the LSU vacancy.

“I didn’t really have any thoughts on it,” Brady said recently (via Sports Illustrated). “I had a great experience in my time there but I was way more concerned with our performance this past Sunday and trying to find ways to improve this Sunday. All of those things, from a coaching perspective, are things that I don’t really pay a lot of attention to…I’ve got to do a better job of being the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and that’s all I’m really concerned about right now.”

2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Interview Joe Brady

January 13th, 2021 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have interviewed Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady for their head coaching job, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brady has interviewed for nearly every opening this circuit and could be on the verge of his first HC gig.

[RELATED: 2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Falcons, Texans, Chargers, and Jets have also chatted with the 31-year-old rising star. Brady made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, guiding Joe Burrows and Justin Jefferson to a record-breaking offensive campaign. In January of 2020, the Panthers called him up to the pros.

Brady’s Panthers offense did not impress, but that was largely due to injuries. Despite Teddy Bridgewater’s struggles and Christian McCaffrey’s injuries, the Panthers still got 1,000+ yards out of D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and Mike Davis. The Birds, who are revamping their offense around Jalen Hurts, could ask Brady to lead the way.

Here’s a look at the Eagles’ other candidates, via PFR’s tracker:

Jets Interview Joe Brady For HC Opening

January 9th, 2021 at 12:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Add another name to the list of Jets head coach candidates. The team announced today that they’ve completed their interview with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Brady, 31, made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, helping guide quarterback Joe Burrows, wideout Justin Jefferson, and the Tigers to a record-breaking offensive campaign. That coaching performance led to him becoming a popular name among NFL teams, and he was ultimately hired as the Panthers offensive coordinator last January.

Despite inconsistent quarterback play from Teddy Bridgewater and only three appearances from star running back Christian McCaffrey, Brady still earned praise during his first year in Carolina. Four offensive players ultimately eclipsed 1,000 yards during the 2020 campaign (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and Mike Davis).

After proving that he belonged in the NFL, Brady has become a hot name on the head coaching circuit. The Texans, Falcons, and Chargers have interviewed or will interview Brady for their HC vacancies.

A number of names have emerged in New York as potential replacements for former Jets head coach Adam Gase. The team recently interviewed former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and former Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are also among those on the organization’s radar.

Texans, Falcons, Chargers To Interview Panthers OC Joe Brady For HC Openings

January 5th, 2021 at 12:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a trend around the league in recent years of teams with head coach openings going after young and innovative offensive minds, and there’s no reason to believe it’s slowing down. To that end, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady is starting to get a lot of buzz.

Brady received interview requests from the Texans, Falcons, and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Houston already completed their interview on Tuesday with the 31-year-old, the team announced. The man running Matt Rhule’s offense has seen a meteoric rise through the ranks in the past handful of years, and as recently as 2016 he was only a graduate assistant at Penn State.

He then became and offensive assistant with the Saints for two years before landing the gig as LSU’s passing game coordinator for the 2019 season. We all know what happened then, as he turned LSU’s offense into a juggernaut, helped Joe Burrow win the Heisman and become the first overall pick, and helped LSU win a national title.

After just one season at LSU, Rhule plucked him to be on his inaugural staff in Carolina. The Panthers were a mixed bag this year, but they did get pretty creative on offense even while missing Christian McCaffrey for pretty much the entire season. Even by today’s standards Brady would be pretty young and inexperienced, but more and more teams are learning that fortune often favors the bold. Even if he doesn’t land a job this cycle, Brady will be a candidate next year and the one after.

Panthers To Hire LSU’s Joe Brady As OC

January 14th, 2020 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Burrow‘s transcendent season may well have opened the door to a major opportunity for LSU’s passing-game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Joe Brady has informed people Tuesday he plans to join Matt Rhule‘s Panthers staff, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This move will make Brady the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets.

The Panthers were linked to the 30-year-old LSU assistant for their offensive coordinator role recently. Brady agreed to an LSU extension, but that deal will not stand to impede a return to the NFL. This would mark a return to the NFL for Brady, who served as a Saints offensive assistant from 2017-18.

Originally linked to an OC role if Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale landed a coaching job, Brady will instead follow Rhule to Charlotte and become the NFL’s youngest active OC. Brady’s stay at LSU produced one of the most dominant seasons in college football history, with Burrow throwing an astounding 60 touchdown passes (against only six interceptions). Not traditionally known for their passing attack despite employing some top-flight receiver prospects, LSU stampeded through a brutal schedule to a national championship.

The Tigers’ wideouts thrived under Brady, with both Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson eclipsing 1,500 yards. Chase, a potential 2021 first-round pick, caught 20 touchdown passes. Jefferson, who is eligible for the 2020 draft, was not far behind with 18. Neither Odell Beckham Jr. nor Jarvis Landry surpassed 10 TDs in a season with the Tigers. Twelve more than any Division I-FBS quarterback threw this season, Burrow’s 60 TD passes would have ranked second to any LSU quarterback’s career total.

This will represent a big jump for Brady, who has never been a coordinator at any level. Prior to joining Sean Payton‘s staff three years ago, the former William & Mary wide receiver’s highest coaching rank was as a Penn State graduate assistant. He is now expected to be Carolina’s second coordinator from the college ranks, joining former Baylor DC Phil Snow.

Panthers Eyeing Joe Brady For OC Role

January 11th, 2020 at 9:07am CST by Ben Levine

Could Joe Brady be heading to the NFL? NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Panther head coach Matt Rhule is considering the LSU passing game coordinator as his own offensive coordinator.

As Rapoport notes, the school recently worked out an extension for Brady, but the deal hasn’t been signed. This means the coach can continue to hunt around for a better-paying gig (of course, he might just prefer to head to the NFL altogether).

Brady, 30, has moved up the coaching ranks very quickly. He coached linebackers at his alma matter, William & Mary, between 2013 and 2014 before moving on to Penn State. He spent two years as an offensive assistant with the Saints before joining Ed Orgeron’s staff at LSU for the 2019 campaign. As LSU’s wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator, Brady earned this season’s Broyles Award, which recognizes the top assistant coach.

When Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale was getting buzz for head coaching gigs, we heard that Brady could be an option for the staff. Martindale was especially connected to the Giants, but that ship sailed when the organization tabbed Joe Judge as their new head coach.

We heard earlier this week that Rhule had identified Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow for the same role with the Panthers. The new head coach will also have a say in the hiring of an assistant GM.

Giants To Interview Mike McCarthy

December 31st, 2019 at 11:13am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants are casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the club is expected to interview former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy this weekend (Twitter link). The club is also set to interview Cowboys passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Kris Richard, and they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy.

Baylor head coach Matt Rhule is said to be New York’s top choice, but ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that McCarthy has a lot of support in the organization (Twitter link). McCarthy is certainly a popular candidate in this year’s cycle, as he has interviewed with the Panthers twice already and has attracted the interest of the Browns.

McCarthy was fired by the Packers in December 2018, and though he did interview for the Jets’ head coaching job shortly thereafter, he has spent the 2019 season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity, as Peter King detailed in a recent Football Morning in America column. In his 13 years in Green Bay, McCarthy posted a 135-85-2 record, including a 10-8 mark in the playoffs, and he led the team to the Super Bowl XLV title.

Of course, did have Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at quarterback for nearly the entirety of his stint in Green Bay, and there were rumors that his and Rodgers’ relationship deteriorated over time. His play-calling was also called into question towards the latter stages of his tenure, though he is trying to stay ahead of the curve in that regard, and the Giants have a promising QB of their own in Daniel Jones.

In addition to McCarthy et al., the Giants have also requested an interview with Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Martindale has no head coaching experience, but he has guided Baltimore’s top-rated defense in each of the past two seasons and has been generating some HC buzz as a result. We heard yesterday that Martindale, if hired, would target LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator, which Rapoport confirmed.

The Giants have not asked for an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, but they have requested one with New England special teams coordinator/WRs coach Joe Judge, as Schefter tweets. Judge is well-respected for his work, and he was a candidate to join McDaniels on his would-be staff with the Colts in 2018 and Matt Patricia‘s staff with the Lions, but the Patriots were able to retain him. This appears to be the first time someone has requested an interview with Judge, 38, but he was mentioned as a possible HC candidate earlier this year.

With respect to Giants assistant coaches still under contract, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets that they have the freedom to pursue other opportunities, though the new head coach will be able to hire them if he so chooses.

Black Monday Rumors: McDaniels, Bieniemy, Browns

December 30th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have fired head coach Pat Shumur, the Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland GM John Dorsey‘s fate is up in the air, Bruce Allen is out with the Redskins, Ron Rivera looks like he’s in, and we have a lot more to pass along:

  • The Giants are rumored to be targeting Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, but they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that the Panthers have also requested a summit with Bieniemy, a branch of the fruitful Andy Reid coaching tree whom Reid feels is ready for an HC job.
  • We heard this morning that the Browns have requested an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and they also want to interview Ravens OC Greg Roman, per Schefter (via Twitter). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that Cleveland is expected to interview Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski again. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.
  • Schefter says the Browns have asked permission to interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh (Twitter link), and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the team plans to interview Mike McCarthy as well (Twitter link). Cleveland had an interview scheduled with McCarthy last year, but by that time, the club had already zeroed in on Kitchens, so the interview never happened. McCarthy and Dorsey worked together in Green Bay, so Dorsey may be rooting for a McCarthy hire.
  • In addition to the Browns, the Giants and Panthers have also requested interviews with McDaniels, as Schefter tweets.
  • Despite recent reports indicating that he wants to stay in Baltimore, Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale is generating a great deal of HC buzz, as Rapoport tweets. If he is hired, Martindale would want to pluck LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady from the collegiate ranks to be his OC. If you’ve watched college football this year, you can’t blame Martindale for that choice.
  • Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will meet with owner Shad Khan tomorrow to discuss his fate, as NFL insider Adam Caplan tweets.