Carolina Panthers: Coaches Bringing a Lot To the Table in 2009

The coaching staff for the Carolina Panthers is very impressive for this upcoming 2009 season. 

The addition of Ron Meeks as Defensive Coordinator—he will take over a very talented defense and make them that much better. He will call the plays, and make decisions on the defensive side of the ball. He puts tremendous pressure on opposing QBs and hopefully he will turn Peppers into a Dwight Freeney. 

Meeks will make them gang tackle, and fly all over the field to the football.  Meeks has been coaching for 19 years, and he started in the NFL in 1991. In Indianapolis from 2002-2008 the team ranked in top seven in points allowed for five of those years, and also led the league in fewest passing touchdown's last year.

Jeff Davidson is the offensive coordinator, and will play a key roll in calling the offensive plays. He's been coaching in the league for 15 years. He did an excellent job last year, and the Panthers had the second most rushing yards in a single season in franchise history. He is well known for the breakdown of game tapes, scouting the opponents defense, and coming up with a great game plan every week.

Davidson was with the New England Patriots from 1997-2004 when they won multiple championships. He was the TEs coach as well as the offensive line coach assistant.

Last but not least is head coach John Fox. He is over the entire coaching staff, he makes the critical decisions. If it's 4th-and-1, late in the game to go for it or not, if it looks like the player had both feet in bounds—it's his call whether or not to challenge the play. If he wants to try and kick the 60-yard field goal, he makes all the major decisions, which is tougher than it sounds!

Fox has been coaching for 21 years, and he came to Carolina from the N.Y. Giants where he was the Defensive Coordinator there from 1997-2001. He started his career in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers Secondary coach back in 1989.

He lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003, after two years earlier only winning one football game. In 2007, Fox dealt with injuries and lots of trouble at the QB position, starting four different QB's that year and still pulling off a 7-9 record. John Fox is a great coach, and has the reputation of being one of the best coaches in the NFL.