The Carolina Panthers have made lots of changes ever since they decided to hit the proverbial reset button in October, and many of the changes they have made have centered around their coaching staff.
They started by firing head coach Matt Rhule in October, and it continued recently with the hiring of new head coach Frank Reich, as well as multiple new members of his staff.
On Saturday, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Carolina had also hired former cornerback DeAngelo Hall to serve as their assistant defensive backs coach.
The #Panthers are hiring three-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall as their assistant defensive backs coach, per sources.
Hall, who was working as an analyst for NFL Network, has been thinking about coaching since retiring five years ago. Instant credibility in the room. pic.twitter.com/pFAOuxXvV9
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 19, 2023
Hall had a fairly productive 14-year NFL career, mostly as a cornerback, for the Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins, and he was voted onto the Pro Bowl in 2005, 2006 and 2010.
He also took some snaps as a member of special teams, where he would occasionally return punts and kickoffs.
The Virginia native retired after the 2017 season as the league’s all-time leader in career fumble return yards with 328.
After retiring, Hall has been a commentator and analyst for multiple outlets, including NFL Network.
With the Panthers, he will have to improve a secondary that was ranked 19th in passing touchdowns allowed and 22nd in passing yards given up this season.
They started this year 2-7, but after Rhule’s firing and the Christian McCaffrey trade, they improved somewhat, winning five of their last eight games while holding four opponents under 20 points during that span.
Since Carolina plays in the NFC South, which is considered the league’s weakest division, they could possibly reach the playoffs in 2023 if they make a few roster tweaks in the coming weeks.
