Panthers Pass on Jaguars' Jim Bob Cooter For OC, Hire Thomas Brown

With opportunities quickly dwindling, will Cooter remain with Jacksonville for next season?

Once considered a strong candidate for multiple team’s offensive coordinator vacancies, Jaguars passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has had his opportunities outside Duval County dwindle in the past 48 hours.

This isn’t for a lack of qualification. Jacksonville’s offense in 2022 ranked 10th in points per game, sixth in EPA/Play, fourth in passing success rate, and sixth in passing DVOA in 2022 due in large part to Cooter’s experience and savvy.

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported earlier this afternoon that the Carolina Panthers, once considered a strong suitor for Cooter’s services, elected to hire former Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator instead, continuing the trend of highly regarded Sean McVay assistants moving up the coaching ranks.

Other suitors included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. While the Buccaneers opted for former Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales to fill their vacancy, the Jags AFC South rival remains interested in interviewing Cooter for their offensive coordinator role under new head coach Shane Steichen per NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport.

Regardless of what path Cooter opts to take, having him back in Duval County for the 2023 season would be a welcomed idea for Doug Pederson and the Jaguars coaching staff. Cooter has previous play-calling experience as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions from 2015-2018 and has been an integral piece in guiding young Jags' offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

"Jim Bob as a pass game coordinator can assist the coordinator. He can assist -- it's just another way of looking at it without coaching a position, right," Pederson said in February when describing Cooter's importance to the Jaguars coaching staff. 

"It's another way of breaking down defenses, help Press wherever he needs help. He can assist in the tight end room or the receiver room or wherever it might be, and then also help us with game planning. "

"But look, the way I call plays, it's still a very collaborative approach. It's me and Press game day. We're sitting there talking and he's giving me ideas and suggestions, and I'm going to -- Press is probably going to take some stuff from Jim Bob Cooter, Mike McCoy, they're going to get together between series. That's how this whole thing works on game day. At the end of the day it's coming together and making the right call at the right time, and then of course just teaching our players."