Things are moving and shaking within the Carolina Panthers organization today, aren’t they?
Following Monday morning’s firing of Matt Rhule, the team also decided to part ways with two of the former head coach’s longtime assistants—defensive coordinator Phil Snow and assistant special teams coach Ed Foley. So now—with Rhule’s replacement now in, uh, place—he’s found a replacement for Snow’s place.
As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, interim head coach Steve Wilks has promoted Al Holcomb to the defensive coordinator position. Holcomb has been working as the Panthers’ run game coordinator since the 2020 campaign.
#Panthers run game coordinator Al Holcomb is expected to be the new defensive coordinator, per me and @MikeGarafolo. https://t.co/M6CNlxXGcg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 10, 2022
The soon-to-be 52-year-old is currently in his second stint for Carolina, with the first coming between 2013 and 2017. He served under then head coach Ron Rivera as the team’s linebackers coach.
Wilks, who also moved on from the Panthers following the 2017 season, brought Holcomb along to be his defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. The two also worked together with the Cleveland Browns a year later—with Wilks as defensive coordinator and Holcomb as his linebackers coach and run game coordinator.