It appears the Carolina Panthers have settled on their next offensive coordinator. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Panthers are close to hiring Ben McAdoo to step into Joe Brady’s former role.
New York Giants fans will remember McAdoo from the nearly two seasons as their head coach, when he compiled a 13-15 record after going 11-5 his first year. Following Tom Coughlin’s departure, McAdoo was promoted to head coach after two seasons as their offensive coordinator.
While his Giants tenure didn’t end well, McAdoo landed those gigs based on his previous work with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he spent eight seasons as their tight ends coach and eventually quarterbacks coach. This was the first time he’d work with coach Mike McCarthy, in which they’d win Super Bowl XLV in 2010.
After the Giants were done with him, McAdoo spent two seasons out of the league before finding work again in 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a quarterbacks coach, working with Gardner Minshew II. He was then let go along with the rest of the staff when they decided to go in another direction.
McAdoo then landed back on his feet, reuniting with coach McCarthy this past season with the Dallas Cowboys as a consultant.
Now, he’ll get another chance, this time as an offensive coordinator for the Panthers. We’ll see if he’s primarily working with Sam Darnold in Carolina or who else may enter the fray, providing some competition. It should be a fun offseason.
Is Ben McAdoo the rockstar hire the Carolina Panthers need?
Previously we had heard mentions of coach Matt Rhule needing to make a “rockstar” hire to help him save his job going forward, since team owner David Tepper is “embarrassed” by their performance under the coach he hired. McAdoo may not be the big name some had been looking for but he certainly comes with experience.
The Panthers will be the seventh NFL organization McAdoo has worked for, after getting his start with the New Orleans Saints in 2004.
