Panthers win race to land highly-touted defensive coordinator

Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers have swooped in to land one of the most highly sought-after defensive coordinators of the hiring cycle.

Former Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has agreed to join Frank Reich’s staff in Carolina. Evero had interest from elsewhere, but ultimately chose Carolina.

The #Panthers are hiring Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator, per sources.

A huge hire for Frank Reich and Carolina, which moved swiftly to lock up one of the NFL’s most talented young coaches after Denver let Evero out of his contract. pic.twitter.com/Y2QvSy2QvV

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 5, 2023

Evero was even singled out as a head coach candidate by a few teams, though a new defensive coordinator job always looked most likely. The Broncos opted to allow him to pursue other opportunities rather than keep him tied to their staff, with new coach Sean Payton choosing to bring in his own defensive coordinator.

This news will be very unwelcome to the Minnesota Vikings, who held up their entire defensive coordinator search for Evero. They will now have to look elsewhere to fill that vacancy on their staff.