CHARLOTTE — The Panthers added some help to the coaching staff by bringing back someone who knows a little about the place.
Interim coach Steve Wilks added former NFL defensive tackle Ian Scott to his staff to help coach the defensive line for the final five weeks of the season.
Scott had spent the last two seasons coaching defensive line at Central Michigan, and had also worked at Central Florida after two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida.
He played three seasons for the Gators (2000-02), and was twice an All-SEC second-team pick. He played seven years in the NFL, and was with the Panthers during the 2008 offseason. He didn't play in a game here, but he appeared in 65 games with the Bears, Eagles, and Chargers (where Wilks was on staff), and was part of a Super Bowl team in Chicago.
The Panthers were running short at the position, after Wilks let defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni go last month. Then, last week, assistant defensive line coach Terrance Knighton left for a job at Nebraska with former coach Matt Rhule.
Those departures left passing game specialist Don Johnson as the only coach working specifically with linemen.
Wilks and interim defensive coordinator Al Holcomb had been splitting their time working with various groups on defense, as the staff there thinned out after defensive coordinator Phil Snow and cornerbacks coach Evan Cooper were also let go recently.
View photos from Bank of America Stadium as Thompson once again welcomed children from the community to get teeth cleanings and checkups, with good dental hygiene being a cause that he strongly supports.
