CHARLOTTE – The Panthers made a couple of additions to their coaching staff, filling some vacancies ahead of this week's Senior Bowl.
The team officially hired Sean Ryan as quarterbacks coach and Tony Sparano Jr. as assistant offensive line coach. Additionally, the Panthers announced Monday that defensive line coach Mike Phair will not return next season. Phair came to Carolina last year after spending 2018-19 in the same role with the Colts.
Ryan and Sparano replace former quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz (who left for the offensive coordinator job at LSU) and assistant line coach Marcus Satterfield (now the offensive coordinator at South Carolina). The two new guys come with connections, which should make their transition easier.
Ryan worked with head coach Matt Rhule with the Giants in 2012 and was mentioned as a possibility for Rhule's initial staff.
Ryan spent the last two seasons working with the Lions as quarterbacks coach with Matthew Stafford, after spending the previous two years as quarterbacks coach in Houston with Deshaun Watson.
Sparano Jr. (the son of the former Dolphins and Raiders head coach) was the Bills' tight ends coach in 2015 and 2016 when Panthers line coach Pat Meyer was an assistant in Buffalo.
Sparano has spent the last four seasons with the Jaguars as the assistant offensive line coach.
With the coaching staff in Mobile, Ala., assistant defensive line coach Frank Okam will lead the defensive line prospects.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Joe Brady and linebackers coach Mike Siravo won't be at the Senior Bowl due to reasons related to COVID-19. So the offensive staff will absorb Brady's duties, and defensive run game coordinator Al Holcomb will coach LBs.
