Jim Caldwell Says He's Done Pursuing NFL HC Job; Interviewed with Panthers, Broncos

Before being hired as a senior assistant by the Carolina Panthers, Jim Caldwell had been hoping to return to a head coaching position and interviewed with several teams, including the Panthers and Denver Broncos.

After failing to land one of the jobs, Caldwell told ESPN's David Newton that he will no longer seek head coaching positions in the NFL.

"Right now, the only job that I'm concerned about is the job I do here, right here and now," the former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach said Tuesday. "I'm not worried about the future or anything else. I don't plan on being a head coach from this point forward."

Five teams had head coaching openings this offseason, and the Houston Texans were the only franchise to hire a minority in DeMeco Ryans. Caldwell said he will still do what he can to get more minority head coaches in the NFL despite longer having the desire to be among that group himself.

"When you look at the numbers, they speak for themselves," the 68-year-old said of the league's track record for hiring Black head coaches. "There's been volumes and volumes of articles written and reporting on television about the lack of diversity in terms of the head coaching position. But there's been a lot of things in the background to try to improve that."

The Panthers hired Reich as head coach over Caldwell and seven other candidates. Caldwell, who has lived in North Carolina since 1993, didn't hesitate to join Reich's staff. As senior assistant, he will report to Reich on all phases of the game.

"When I didn't get a head coaching job, I immediately sort of changed the plan in terms of what I was looking for next," Caldwell said. "I knew I was at the stage where I wanted to be back in the building somewhere. And so, I did have some opportunities to kind of look at, and I was happy when Frank called."

Reich hired Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator and Ejiro Evero as defensive coordinator, both of whom are Black. Reich's eventual goal is to hand over the play-calling duties to Brown, which Caldwell believes would provide a path to an eventual head coaching position.

Caldwell also said he will continue his work with the Quarterback Coaching Summit, which Newton noted is "aimed at getting more offensive-minded Black coaches in the college ranks ready for the NFL and head coaching positions."