Panthers bringing back Capers, McCown to coaching staff

The Carolina Panthers are bringing back more familiar faces.

The Panthers announced that Dom Capers, who served as the team’s first head coach from 1995-98, has been added to new coach Frank Reich’s staff as a senior defensive assistant. Capers coached Reich in 1995 when the Panthers broke into the league as an expansion team.

The team has also hired Josh McCown, who spent two seasons as a Panthers quarterback, as their new quarterbacks coach, and Peter Hansen as their linebackers coach. Hansen worked last season with the Denver Broncos under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

The 72-year-old Capers brings a wealth of experience to Reich’s staff.

He earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1996, leading the Panthers to a 12-4 record and a trip to the NFC championship. He was fired after four seasons, and went on to coach another expansion team, the Houston Texans.

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Capers won a Super Bowl as defensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers. He’s also served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Capers spent the past four seasons as a senior adviser in Jacksonville, Minnesota, Detroit and Denver. Last season he worked alongside Evero, and the Broncos finished seventh in the league in defense.

The addition of Capers is likely another sign of the Panthers moving to a 3-4 defense.

McCown, 43, spent 16 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback.

He served as a backup quarterback for the Panthers in 2008 and 2009, and also coached high school football in the Charlotte area. He interviewed last season for the Houston Texans head coaching job despite never having served as an NFL assistant coach.

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