panthers add a couple more staff, incl. solid STs hire

[rayzor]

CHARLOTTE – The Panthers have filled out their coaching staff for the 2013 season by hiring veteran Bruce DeHaven to serve as assistant special teams coach and up-and-comer Lance Taylor to serve as assistant wide receivers coach and offensive quality control coach.

DeHaven, who will assist Richard Rodgers with the Panthers' special teams units, has been in charge of special teams units around the NFL for each of the past 26 seasons. He spent the last three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, reprising the role with the team that he held from 1987-99. In between, he directed special teams units in San Francisco (2000-02), Dallas (2003-06) and Seattle (2007-09).

This past season, the Bills led the NFL in punt return average and ranked fourth in kickoff return average. In 2011, the Bills held opponents to an NFL-low 20.4 yards per kickoff return.

DeHaven was on the Bills coaching staff when Buffalo advanced to four consecutive Super Bowls in the early 1990s. He's often associated with Scott Norwood's missed 47-yard field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV as well as the “Music City Miracle” that eliminated the Bills from the 1999 playoffs, but his units were outstanding throughout his tenure. DeHaven helped Steve Tasker become one of the best special teams performers in NFL history and consistently developed standout kickoff and punt return coverage units.

http://www.panthers....71-3555ce550f1c

the lance taylor is kind of a "meh..." hire but the dehaven hire is quite nice. the guy should actually be the STs coach. i expect rodgers is on a short leash.

[PhillyB]

glad to see we're addressing our abysmal special teams coaching (or trying to, at least.) dehaven should be a good addition

[chknwing]

pie for posting actual panther news

[rayzor]

pie for posting actual panther news

i wish there was more.

i hate this time of year.

[pilot2011]

Taylor coached receivers for App State a few years ago before coaching with the Jets... Looks like AE might make it through his rookie contract after all.

[Proudiddy]

*shrug*

[Proudiddy]

Taylor coached receivers for App State a few years ago before coaching with the Jets... Looks like AE might make it through his rookie contract after all.

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[Mr. Scot]

Adding DeHaven is a great move :D

[Dex]

Wait you mean the Lance Taylor?

[pinkfloyd]

Adding DeHaven is a great move :D

funny that. :thumbsu:

[SevenSixes]

DeHaven is the first coaching hire that actually like this off season. This is an obvious upgrade.

[tiger7_88]

Taylor began his coaching career in 2007 as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama, his alma mater. He joined the Crimson Tide program in 2000 as a walk-on and played in 38 consecutive games, serving as special teams captain his senior season.

If Taylor was a freshman walk-on at Bama in 2000, then he was a senior at Bama when Mike Shula was in his first year as head coach there.

And if he was a GA at Bama in 2007, he was a GA for Nick Saban during Saban's first year at Bama.

[MtnJax]

Taylor coached receivers for App State a few years ago before coaching with the Jets... Looks like AE might make it through his rookie contract after all.

i doubt it. AE was QB when he was at App, so he never coached him. I truthfully don't even remember the dude being there. it was during the weird years where we had a new WR coach each year from 08-11. the only thing it could mean would be Brian Quick coming to the Panthers if he were cut by the Rams

[The Golden Child]

Glad we hired someone w/prior experience.