Unfortunately for Chris Tabor, he won’t be surviving another head-coaching change in Charlotte.
According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Carolina Panthers are not planning to retain Tabor as they head into the 2024 season. The special teams coordinator, who also served as the team’s interim head coach for the final six games of the 2023 campaign, will be free to seek employment elsewhere.
Tabor was hired by Carolina back in 2022, after stacking up a decade of experience as an NFL special teams coordinator. He’d make an impact in that very first year, coaching up the fourth-best special teams unit Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings.
Despite being brought in under Matt Rhule, who was the head coach from 2020 to 2022, Tabor was retained in the team’s transition to Frank Reich. Tabor would eventually take over for Reich following the team’s 1-10 start to his short-lived tenure.
The Panthers went 1-5 in Tabor’s six outings as interim head coach.
This decision comes less than 24 hours after the hiring of new head coach Dave Canales. Being that the Panthers previously rejected the New York Giants’ request to speak with Tabor back on Jan. 12, Canales and new president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan may be looking for a special teams coordinator of their own.
