For the third straight year, Thomas Brown is generating head coaching interest. According to ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin, the Titans have requested to interview the Panthers offensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.
Brown worked his way up through the college circuit before being hired as the Rams running backs coach in 2020. He quickly earned a promotion to assistant head coach, and he eventually took on the role of tight ends coach. When Frank Reich was hired as the Panthers head coach last offseason, he brought on Brown to be his offensive coordinator.
The Panthers offense struggle was inconsistent in 2023 with rookie Bryce Young under center. Reich eventually relinquished play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, but he briefly took them back before getting fired. Brown once again started calling plays under interim head coach Chris Tabor. While the Panthers offense finished towards the bottom of the NFL in most stats, Brown got the benefit of the doubt considering the turmoil on the staff. Still, he’s not expected to stick around Carolina in 2024.
Considering Brown’s rapid rise, this isn’t the first time he’s been a candidate for a head coaching gig. He was connected to the opening at Arizona State in 2022, and he interviewed for the Texans job last offseason.
As our 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Brown is now the 10th candidate for the Titans head coaching job:
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/12
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Brian Johnson, offensive coordinator (Eagles): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/12
- Mike Macdonald, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/13
- Antonio Pierce, interim head coach (Raiders): Interviewed 1/13
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): To interview 1/17
- Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
The Panthers offense was pretty good this year.
That’s a surprising selection.
Rooney rule
Gotta do what you gotta do.
Antonio Pierce – Titans. Young team young qb needs a tough mindset
Ben Johnson – Seahawks. Good young pieces on offense at rb and wr.
Harbaugh – chargers
Bellichek – commanders
Bobby Slowik – Falcons. Trade up to #1 to select Caleb Williams and pair him with London Pitts Robinson. Slowik has done a great job with Cj Stroud in Houston
I’d be very surprised if Pierce doesn’t stick with the Raiders and if Johnson doesn’t end up with the Commanders
Maxx Crosby saying he’d seek a trade if Pierce doesn’t get the job tells me that it’s not looking good. He could wind up with the Raiders still but if he was the favorite doubt Crosby publicly says he’s gonna seek a trade.
Commanders and Panthers are pretty undesirable jobs imo. Tepper is Tepper. And Harris has said he wants to run his nfl team like an nba team. Could work out but I can’t think of many competent front offices in the nba since star players dictate things like trades and who teams sign. I’d stay away until we see how that works out personally. Plus commanders and panthers have a lot of holes to fill. Tepper is impatient. Harris is a new owner and could also suffer from being impatient (new owner syndrome)
Least in Seattle you’re starting at a pretty good point.
Another obvious Rooney Rule situation. The OC for the team that drafted Young first overall leading to one of the worst(if not the worst) offensive team in the league.
I get the premise of the Rooney Rule but situations like this make it counter intuitive. I would think it would make some of these “candidates” feel more disrespected when it’s clearly a token interview.
At some point as a society we have to simplify things and have HONEST conversations.
You’re either qualified and the best person for the job or you’re not. These NFL presidents/owners don’t give a damn about black or white, the only color they care about it green and that’s ok because at the end of the day they’re business owners.
Bryzzo- Panthers were 32nd in the league in yards per game(that would be the WORST in the NFL), and 31st in the league (that would be 2nd to worst)in offensive touchdowns, if I’m not mistaken. This is the world we live in, and we have no choice but to accept it.