Carolina Panthers, defensive coordinator Phil Snow also split after Matt Rhule fired

Matt Rhule won’t be the only former Carolina Panthers coach cleaning out his office this week.

Defensive coordinator Phil Snow and special teams assistant Ed Foley have also parted ways with the team, the organization confirmed Monday.

Snow oversaw the defense throughout Rhule’s run in Carolina.

Defensive running game coordinator Al Holcomb is expected to take over play-calling duties for Snow, a league source confirmed. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report Holcomb’s expected promotion.

Holcomb and interim head coach Steve Wilks have worked together on and off since 2013.

Despite Snow guiding the strongest unit of Rhule’s tenure, the Panthers chose to let Rhule and Snow go as a package deal.

The duo has worked together since 2013. That’s when Rhule hired Snow to coach his defense at Temple. The pair moved from Temple to Baylor to Carolina during their time together.

Snow, 66, could look for work in the college game following this season. He also could reunite with Rhule at his next stop.

Wilks will have plenty of familiarity with Holcomb’s defensive play-calling. The duo has a longtime relationship, having risen through the coaching ranks together over the past decade.

Wilks and Holcomb served as defensive assistants together under former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera from 2013 to 2017. In 2018, Wilks was hired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Wilks hired Holcomb to run his defense in the desert.

In 2019, after Wilks was let go by the Cardinals, the pair relocated to Cleveland, where Wilks served as defensive coordinator and Holcomb took on the role of linebackers coach and run game coordinator. Holcomb was subsequently hired by Rhule as his running game coordinator on defense in 2020.

Wilks rejoined the Panthers organization this season, reuniting with Holcomb, after serving as defensive coordinator for the University of Missouri last year.

This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers, defensive coordinator Phil Snow also split after Matt Rhule fired."

Mike Kaye

The Charlotte Observer

Mike Kaye writes about the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer. He also co-hosts “Processing Blue: A Panthers Podcast” for The Observer. Kaye’s work in columns/analysis and sports feature writing has been honored by the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA). His reporting has also received recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).Kaye previously covered the entire NFL for Pro Football Network, the Philadelphia Eagles for NJ Advance Media and the Jacksonville Jaguars for First Coast News. Support my work with a digital subscription