Former Tennessee Vols player in the mix for coordinator job in the NFC South
A former Tennessee Vols player is in the mix for a coordinator job in the NFC South. According to The Athletic's Joseph Person, the Carolina Panthers recently interviewed former Vols quarterback Jim Bob Cooter for their vacant offensive coordinator job. Cooter is currently the Jacksonville Jaguars' passing game coordinator. From The Athletic: Keep an eye […]
A former Tennessee Vols player is in the mix for a coordinator job in the NFC South.
According to The Athletic's Joseph Person, the Carolina Panthers recently interviewed former Vols quarterback Jim Bob Cooter for their vacant offensive coordinator job.
Cooter is currently the Jacksonville Jaguars' passing game coordinator.
Keep an eye on Jacksonville pass-game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who quietly interviewed for the Panthers’ OC job this week, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.
Cooter has several strong connections to the Panthers' new coaching staff, so I'd say there's a decent chance he lands in Charlotte.
For starters, Cooter worked with new Carolina head coach Frank Reich in Indianapolis for several seasons.
Cooter was an offensive assistant with the Colts from 2009 to 2011. Reich was the Colts' quarterbacks coach in 2009 and 2010. He was Indy's wide receivers coach in 2011.
While in Indianapolis, Cooter worked closely with former Vol Peyton Manning.
Cooter landed with the Colts thanks to a recommendation from former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer.
According to Manning, Fulmer knew when Cooter was a player that he was destined to be a coach.
"I used to see Jim Bob when I’d go back to Knoxville," said Manning to the Detroit Free Press in 2016. "I went back to Knoxville every summer to work out with the team, so I knew Jim Bob then as a player who was there. And Coach Fullmer always told me, 'This guy’s going to be a coach.' Some guys you can just tell that way."
The Panthers also hired former Colts/Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as an assistant this week, which is another connection that Cooter has to Carolina. Cooter served on Caldwell's staff in Detroit from 2014 to 2017, first as the quarterbacks coach and then as the Lions' offensive coordinator.
Sounds like a perfect fit for Cooter in Charlotte.
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
