CHARLOTTE – Head coach Matt Rhule has assembled his first coaching staff in Carolina.
"When you get to the National Football League, this is the best of the best," Rhule said. "You have to be somebody who can help players play better. We wanted a good mix on our staff of youth and experience, with coaches from all different backgrounds. And at the end of it all, they have to be great teachers. We've searched high and low to find that quality."
Below is a look at the assistants who will work under Rhule and with previously announced coordinators Joe Brady (offense), Phil Snow (defense) and Chase Blackburn (special teams).
Offense
Quarterbacks coach: Jake Peetz
Peetz was named Carolina's quarterbacks coach under Rhule after spending the 2019 season with the Panthers as running backs coach. In that role, Peetz helped Christian McCaffrey put together a historic season. Peetz has 10 years of NFL experience, also spending time with the Jaguars, Redskins and Raiders. Peetz coached quarterbacks in his final two seasons in Oakland (2016-17), serving as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2016 and quarterbacks coach in 2017. Quarterback Derek Carr earned two of his three consecutive Pro Bowl selections working with Peetz.
Assistant quarterbacks coach: Matt Lombardi
Lombardi joins the staff after spending the 2019 season as a quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins. Prior to his time in Miami, Lombardi was part of Rhule's staff at Baylor from 2017-18, where he served as an offensive quality control coach. Lombardi also spent one year as a scout for the Cleveland Browns in 2013.
Senior offensive assistant/running backs coach: Jeff Nixon
Nixon spent the last three seasons serving as Rhule's co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Baylor. Before that, Nixon spent 10 years coaching in the NFL, making stops in San Francisco, Miami and Philadelphia. During his five years in Miami, Nixon worked with Reggie Bush and Lamar Miller – coaching Bush to a career-high 1,086 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2011 and Miller to a career-high 1,099 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2014.
Tight ends coach: Brian Angelichio
Angelichio comes to the Panthers with over 25 years of coaching experience, including eight years of NFL experience. Most recently, Angelichio spent the 2019 season coaching tight ends for the Washington Redskins, and before that, he served in the same position in Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Green Bay.
Wide receivers coach: Frisman Jackson
Jackson joins the Panthers as wide receivers coach after spending the past two seasons in the same role on Rhule's staff at Baylor. During his time in Waco, Jackson also served as the Bears' passing game coordinator. Jackson was also a member of Rhule's staff from 2015-16 at Temple, where he helped the Owls reach back-to-back bowl games and win the 2016 AAC Championship. Jackson's 12 years of coaching experience also include a one-year stint as wide receivers coach for the Tennessee Titans during the 2017 season.
Offensive line coach: Pat Meyer
Meyer brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the Panthers' staff, seven of which were spent in the NFL. Meyer spent the past three seasons as the offensive line coach for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-19. During the 2018 season, Meyer helped lead the offense to its highest rushing total since 2013 (1,873 yards). Behind the protection of Meyer's offensive line, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers tied his career-best single-season passer rating of 105.5. In 2017, Meyer's unit allowed a league-low 17 sacks, the franchise's fewest since the 1982 season. Meyer also made stops with the Bills and Bears during his time in the league.
Assistant offensive line coach: Marcus Satterfield
Satterfield most recently served as tight ends coach at Baylor in 2019 and was Baylor's director of recruiting in 2018. He was the head coach at Tennessee Tech from 2016-17 and worked as Rhule's offensive coordinator at Temple from 2013-15.
Coaching assistant: E.J. Barthel
Barthel was at William & Mary in 2019, coaching running backs and serving as recruiting coordinator. He previously coached running backs at Howard, where he was also player development coach. Barthel worked under Rhule at Temple in 2016, when he was director of on-campus recruiting and player personnel.
Defense
Defensive run game coordinator: Al Holcomb
Holcomb returns to Carolina in 2020 as the defensive run game coordinator. Holcomb previously coached with the Panthers from 2013-17 as the linebackers coach, helping Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis become one of the league's best duos. Holcomb has 25 years of coaching experience, including 11 in the NFL, in which he spent time with the Giants, was defensive coordinator in Arizona in 2018, and defensive run game coordinator in Cleveland in 2019.
Defensive line coach: Mike Phair
Phair joins the Panthers after spending two seasons as the defensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Phair is a veteran of 21 years in football with 15 seasons in coaching. He has nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL with the Colts (2018-19), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014), Chicago Bears (2011-13) and Seattle Seahawks (2008-10). Phair also spent six seasons as a scout in Seattle (2005-07) and Tampa Bay (2002-04).
Assistant defensive line coach: Frank Okam
Okam previously served as a defensive line assistant under Rhule at Baylor for the past two seasons. In 2019, Okam helped lead the Bears defensive line that produced 46 sacks on the year to finish ninth in the nation, and the unit produced the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year in tackle James Lynch. Prior to his time in Waco, Okam helped coach the defensive line at Rice University for four years. He spent six seasons playing in the NFL.
Linebackers coach: Mike Siravo
Siravo comes to the Panthers after spending the last three years under Rhule as Baylor's linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Prior to that, Siravo served in the same position under Rhule at Temple for four years. During the 2019 campaign at Baylor, Siravo's linebacking core helped anchor a defense that finished second in turnovers gained (30), third in interceptions (17), eighth in sacks per game (3.31), and fifth in turnover margin (1.08). Under Siravo's teaching, Baylor placed two linebackers on the All-Big 12 Second Team Defense.
Defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach: Jason Simmons
Simmons brings nearly a decade of NFL experience to the Panthers coaching staff, and will serve as the team's defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach after coaching the Packers' defensive backs last season. During his nine years in Green Bay, Simmons filled a number of roles for the Packers, including defensive backs coach, secondary coach, assistant special teams coach and administrative assistant. Simmons also adds 10 years of NFL experience as a player after spending the first four years of his playing career as a defensive back for the Steelers, before spending his final six seasons with the Texans.
Cornerbacks coach: Evan Cooper
Cooper will serve as the Panthers cornerbacks coach. He most recently served as an assistant cornerbacks coach at Baylor, as well as the team's recruiting coordinator. Prior to his time at Baylor, Cooper served as the director of player personnel at Temple after previously serving as a graduate assistant for the Owls.
Coaching assistant: Cedric Whitaker
Whitaker coached cornerbacks at Houston Baptist University in 2019. Prior to his time at HBU, Whitaker spent two years as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs on Rhule's staff at Baylor. Whitaker assisted with defensive signal calling and communicating defensive and special teams adjustments.
Coaching assistant: Grant Udinksi
Udinski was a football operations assistant at Baylor in 2019. He wrapped up his playing career as a defensive lineman for Towson in 2018.
Special teams
Assistant special teams coach: Ed Foley
Foley was an analyst in a non-coaching role for Baylor in 2019. Prior to that, he spent 11 years in a variety of roles at Temple. He served as special teams coordinator from 2015-18. Temple special teams were among the best in the country under Foley. In 2018, the Owls blocked five kicks and scored six special teams touchdowns. In 2015, his first year as special teams coordinator, Temple blocked an NCAA-leading seven kicks, the Owls tied a team record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Austin Jones set the school record for field goals made (23) and points by a kicker (113).
Strength & Conditioning
Strength & conditioning coach: Jeremy Scott
Scott joins the Panthers as strength and conditioning coach after serving in the same role under Rhule for the past seven years at Baylor and Temple. From 2017-19, Scott led the Bears strength and conditioning program as the director of athletic performance. Prior to that, Scott spent four years as the head strength and conditioning coach at Temple from 2013-17. Prior to Temple, Scott had stints at Princeton University and Penn State. He graduated from Lock Haven University in 1996 and then earned a master's degree from Penn State in 1999.
Assistant to the head coach
Matthew Delgado
Delgado joins the Panthers after three seasons with Rhule at both Baylor (2017-19) and Temple (2014-16). He was director of football technology before being promoted to director of football operations ahead of the 2019 season. At Temple, Delgado was the video coordinator. Prior to that, he was director of video operations and the NFL/Pro liaison at the University of New Hampshire.
