The Carolina Panthers’ search for a defensive coordinator has not been as extensive as their one for a new head coach. But there’s certainly no shortage of capable candidates—and New York Jets defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel is certainly among them.
Manuel spent eight years in the league as a safety, a run that actually included a stop in Carolina. He played in all 16 games, with a pair of starts, for the Panthers in 2007.
While not the most decorated player, the 2002 sixth-round pick survived in a brutal league for nearly a decade—exemplifying his football intelligence and discipline to the game. Those traits, obviously, would be admired in any coaching position.
Three years after his final NFL game, Manuel joined the Seattle Seahawks as an assistant special teams coach in 2012. He was then promoted to defensive assistant a season later and to assistant secondary coach in 2014—helping further develop the daunting “Legion of Boom.”
Manuel followed his defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the Atlanta Falcons, where he coached up a scrappy secondary between 2015 and 2016. He was named the team’s defensive coordinator the year following the infamous Super Bowl LI loss, going on to bolster a shaky defensive unit into a steady one.
He was let go after the 2018 campaign and landed with the Philadelphia Eagles as their defensive backs coach in 2020. Manuel, who’s since headed the Jets safeties going back to 2021, has proven a solid defensive play caller and talent developer.
