CHARLOTTE — The Panthers were looking for a more experienced hand on offense, and they have found one.
Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo has agreed to terms on a contract to become their next offensive coordinator.
The 44-year-old McAdoo has 15 years of experience in the NFL. He was the Giants' head coach for two seasons. He was previously their offensive coordinator, after a successful stint as the Packers' tight ends and quarterbacks coach. McAdoo spent the 2020 season as the Jaguars' quarterback coach, and was a consultant with the Cowboys last season.
The link to former Giants coach Tom Coughlin is the common thread with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who over the past couple of weeks interviewed several assistants with a range of backgrounds before making the decision.
When McAdoo was the Giants' head coach in 2016 (with an aging Eli Manning at quarterback), they were 8-3 in one-score games, and were one of the least-penalized teams in the league.
That's the kind of stability the Panthers are looking for, after replacing Joe Brady in midseason. The Panthers ranked 30th in the league in total offense last season, were 2-6 in one-score games, and ranked 22nd in the league in penalties.
The Panthers interviewed McAdoo for other jobs in previous years. But in 2020, when Rhule assembled his first staff, he turned the offense over to the 30-year-old Brady, after his stint running LSU's high-powered passing game.
McAdoo has a deeper pro background, and his time working with head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay adds some ballast to the Panthers' offensive staff.
