Bernie Parmalee is in his first season with the Carolina Panthers as the team's running backs coach after most recently serving in the same role for the Jacksonville Jaguars the previous three seasons (2021-23). Parmalee played nine seasons as a running back in the NFL (1992-2000) and shortly thereafter began his coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2002. Parmalee brings 15 years of NFL coaching experience to Carolina having spent time on staff with the Jaguars (2021-23), Falcons (2018-20), Raiders (2015-17), Chiefs (2010-12) and Dolphins (2002-04).
Under Parmalee's tutelage, Travis Etienne Jr. finished the 2023 campaign ranked 11th in the NFL with 1,008 rushing yards and the ninth-most rushing touchdowns (11). Over his first two full seasons (2022-23) in the league, Etienne Jr. ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards (2,133), tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns (16) and tied for ninth with 105 rushing first downs.
In 2022, he helped RB Travis Etienne Jr. become the team's leading rusher after the Clemson product missed the entire 2021 season with a foot injury. Etienne ranked fourth in the NFL among all running backs in yards per carry (5.1) and ninth in the league in rushing (1,125). Etienne's 1,125 rushing yards are the fourth-most through a players' first 17 games in franchise history. The second-year back rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries in his playoff debut against the Chargers last season, the second-most by a player in their first career postseason game in franchise history. In 2021, Parmalee helped RB James Robinson register a team-high 989 scrimmage yards and eight TDs. In Robinson's first two seasons in the NFL, he has posted 2,403 scrimmage yards and 1,837 rushing yards, which both stand as the third most-most in franchise history through a player's first 28 games.
Parmalee coached the running backs for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, helping RB Todd Gurley rush 195 times for 678 yards and nine TDs in his first season with the team. RB Brian Hill rushed for a career-high 465 yards with Atlanta, including a career-best 94 rushing yards in the season finale. He added special teams coordinator duties following Week 5. K Younghoe Koo earned Pro Bowl honors in 2020 under Parmalee's guidance.
In 2019, Parmalee started the year as special teams assistant/offensive assistant with the Falcons, and after several coaching changes during the Bye Week, he was moved to running backs coach. The team averaged 3.8 yards per carry in the last eight games of the season and totaled 813 yards and seven TDs. Parmalee also worked with RB Qadree Ollison in his first season in the NFL, who tallied four rushing TDs.
In 2018, Parmalee tutored the running backs in Atlanta, and the team averaged 4.5 yards per carry and totaled 1,573 rushing yards and 11 TDs. Parmalee coached RB Ito Smith in his first season in the NFL, where he tallied four rushing TDs, the most rushing TDs by a Falcons rookie since 2002.
He originally joined the Falcons after spending three years with the Oakland Raiders as the running backs coach (2015-17). During his three seasons with the Raiders, the team averaged 4.2 yards per carry and tallied 4,933 rushing yards with 37 TDs. In 2015, he coached RB Latavius Murray who crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. Murray and FB Marcel Reese both earned Pro Bowl nods in Parmalee's first year at the helm in Oakland. In 2016, the Raiders' rushing attack ranked near the top of the league, finishing sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (120.1), and Parmalee's backfield amassed 20 total TDs.
Parmalee served as the tight ends coach for three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2010-12. In his first season with Kansas City, he developed TE Tony Moeaki, who caught 47 passes, the top mark by a rookie tight end in Chiefs history. Under his direction, Moeaki also finished with 556 receiving yards, trailing only TE Walter White (559) for the best total by a rookie tight end in club annals. In 2012, Moaeki finished second on the team with 453 receiving yards, behind only WR Dwayne Bowe.
Prior to working with the Chiefs, he spent time coaching at Notre Dame (2005-09) and the Miami Dolphins (2002-04). He played nine seasons in the NFL as a running back with the Miami Dolphins (1992-98), including two seasons as a teammate of Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson, and the New York Jets (1999-2000). After entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Miami, he played in 134 games (26 starts), recording 567 rushes for 2,179 yards and 17 TDs. He attended Ball State, where he finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading rusher in school history, tallying 3,483 rushing yards and 26 TDs.
He attended Lincoln High School in Jersey City, N.J. and earned varsity letters in football and baseball. He and his wife, Angela, have three children, Tré, Nakia Marie and Torian.
2002 | Miami Dolphins - Assistant Special Teams
2003 |Miami Dolphins - Assistant Special Teams/ Offensive Assistant (RBs)
2004 | Miami Dolphins - Running Backs/ TightEnds
2005-06 - Notre Dame - Tight Ends/ Special Teams Coordinator
2007-09 | Notre Dame - Tight Ends
2012-12 | Kansas City Chiefs - Tight Ends
2014 | University of Kansas - Quality Control Offense/ Assistant Running Backs
2015-17 | Oakland Raiders - Running Backs Coach
2018 | Atlanta Falcons - Running Backs Coach
2019 | Atlanta Falcons - Assistant Special Teams/ Offensive Assistant
2020 | Atlanta Falcons - Running Backs Coach/ Special Teams Coordinator
2021-23 | Jacksonville Jaguars - Running Backs Coach
2023- pres | Running Backs Coach
