Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#45. John Fox
John Fox’s first ever coaching position was as a 23-year-old graduate assistant at San Diego State University in 1978. He then spent several years as a defensive backs coach at the collegiate level before becoming the Defensive Coordinator for the Pitt Panthers for three seasons. Staying in Pittsburgh, Fox transitioned from college to the NFL, joining the Steelers staff as defensive backs coach in 1989. After three years with the Steelers and two with the Chargers, Foxy got his first big break as an NFL Defensive Coordinator with the Raiders. He spent a couple seasons between LA and Oakland, then spent one season as a consultant for the Rams. He spent the next five seasons as the Defensive Coordinator for the New York Giants.
The Panthers had just finished their worst season in franchise history (by a wide margin) in 2001. The team went 1-15 and had abysmal performances on both sides of the ball (29th in points for, 28th in points against). The season started off with a bang as future Hall of Honor member Steve Smith began his rookie campaign with a kickoff return touchdown, helping lift the team to a win over the Minnesota Vikings. From there, however, the wheels fell off. Offensive minded coach George Seifert was fired, essentially freeing up both the head coach position and general manager position. Marty Hurney, No. 82 on our list, was hired as GM, and Giants DC John Fox was hired as head coach.
The defensive turnaround was instant. While the offense still sputtered, the defense jumped up to 5th in the league in points against. The team finished 7-9 on the back of that stout defense. Some free agent acquisitions and young player development on offense helped the team really flourish during the 2003 season. With the offense still struggling throughout the first half of the their Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars, Fox made the gutsy decision to pull starter Rodney Peete in favor of some guy named Jake Delhomme. That no-name backup quarterback led a comeback victory, and the Panthers rattled off an impressive 11-5 season that culminated in the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl. The offense was still very much an average unit (literally 15th in points for), so it was Fox’s defense that really drove the team’s success.
John Fox’s tenure in Carolina ultimately lasted nine seasons, though none ever reached the success of his second season. The 2005 and 2008 seasons were both promising, but neither led to a Super Bowl birth. The 2-14 season in 2010 was the nail in the coffin for Fox, ending his career in Carolina. He ended up with a 73-71 record, boasting multiple defenses that landed in the top ten of the league in both points allowed and yards allowed. In fact, the 2002 and 2005 defenses finished top five in both categories. Fox went on to be the head coach for the Denver Broncos before ending his career as the Bears head coach in 2017 (though he has had some consultant/assistant gigs since then). While the end of Foxy’s tenure was stale and underwhelming, he undoubtedly had a massive impact on the franchise. He was brought in to fix the defense and did so with incredible success, earning him this spot on our countdown.
