BREAKING: Panthers Fire Defensive Coordinator Phil Snow

More changes in Carolina.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Panthers have fired defensive coordinator Phil Snow.

Snow was hired by the Panthers in 2020 by former head coach Matt Rhule. Snow and Rhule have been attached at the hip for years. When Rhule became the head coach at Temple in 2013, he hired Phil Snow to be his defensive coordinator. That was only the beginning of their pairing, as Snow followed Rhule to Temple, and then to Carolina. When Rhule was fired, it was only a matter of time before Snow would be fired as well.

As it stands, the Carolina defense sits at 22nd in the league in points allowed per game (22.4) after finishing 20th in 2021 and 18th in 2020. The defense has been below average in points allowed all three years, but an inept offense on the other side never helped Snow's unit. Efficiency stats like EPA/Play and DVOA graded the Panthers' defense out much better than traditional counting stats ever did.

Steve Wilks is taking over as the interim head coach, and it would make sense that he plans to call plays on defense as well. Wilks has served mostly as a secondary coach, but he has been a defensive coordinator multiple times in his career as well. With Wilks calling plays, Show became expendable.

If trends continue, Snow won't be out of a job for long. Matt Rhule is expected to be high on the coaching list for some major college football programs (Wisconsin, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, etc.), and Snow will likely join him as his defensive coordinator.

Al Holcomb will serve as the new defensive coordinator.