A season of upheaval for the Carolina Panthers continued Monday as cornerbacks coach Evan Cooper and defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni were fired by interim coach Steve Wilks.
Cooper was hired in 2020 by former head coach Matt Rhule, who was fired after a 1-4 start to this season. The 73-year-old Pasqualoni, a former head coach at Syracuse and UConn and a longtime NFL and college assistant coach, joined the team prior to this season.
Defensive assistant Bobby Maffei and interim defensive coordinator Al Holcomb will help with the defensive backs for the Panthers, while Don Johnson and assistant coach Terrance Knighton will coach the defensive linemen.
Wilks is 1-3 as interim coach following the Panthers’ 42-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which the team faced its largest halftime deficit in franchise history (35-0).
Carolina was outgained 464 yards to 228 in the loss, giving up five rushing touchdowns after giving up only seven in the first eight games. The Panthers also committed seven penalties for 50 yards, four by the defense for lining up offsides.
ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this report.