The Carolina Panthers have reached an agreement to sign Ejiro Evero as the team’s new defensive coordinator, making him the latest appointment to the coaching staff of new head coach Frank Reich.
Evero spent last season as the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator. New Broncos’ coach Sean Payton agreed to let Evero out of his contract with the team so that he could acquire the freedom to pursue other jobs.
Before entering the running for his new defensive coordinator role, Evero had interviewed for the position of Panthers head coach. He also applied for head coaching jobs with the Arizona Cardinals and the Indianapolis Colts.
Under Evero, the Broncos finished within the top 10 in the league in total defense and rushing defense despite being hit by an array of injury setbacks. For one stretch of the season leading up to Christmas Day, the Broncos had the top-scoring defense in the NFL.
Overall, the Panthers’ defense is considered to be that of a team ranked seventh to 10th in the NFL. While Carolina typically plays with a 4-3 defensive base, the team may be shifted to Evero’s 3-4 setup.
