Panthers hire linebackers coach Peter Hansen

Evero is expected to have a relatively free hand in building his staff. What can we learn from his first hire?

The Carolina Panthers have hired new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s first assistant coach: linebackers coach Peter Hansen. Hansen coached with Evero in both Denver and San Francisco. His most recent role was also as linebackers coach for the Broncos last season. Denver released Hansen from his contract just this week.

Setting aside his familiarity with Evero, Hansen will bring a new perspective to the Panthers defense. No, not because he is 6’8”, but because he has coached and played just about everywhere in a relatively short career. His playing days took him from the University of Arizona to semi-professional football and basketball leagues in Europe. As a coach, he has been with Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford and San Francisco 49ers teams, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Denver Broncos before joining the Panthers. He has been a defensive coordinator at the college level (UNLV) and a linebackers coach nearly everywhere.

Hansen likely won’t be the only guy to follow Evero from Denver, but the Panthers have also shown a willingness to step outside of traditional coaching networks to find the best name for a given job. After all, that’s how Evero got here in the first place. Keep it here, Panthers fans, for the latest and greatest on the Panthers new staff as they get hired.