The Carolina Panthers hired DeAngelo Hall as cornerbacks coach on Monday, according to NFL.com, marking the team’s first personnel move since firing defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. Hall, a former three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, previously served as Carolina’s assistant defensive backs coach from 2023-24.
The Main Development
Hall’s return to Bank of America Stadium comes just four days after Carolina moved on from Evero following a 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on a Thursday night. The Panthers fired Evero and Cooley on Friday, Oct. 30, with the team sitting at 3-4 and ranked 22nd in total defense, including dead last against the run.
Hall joins a secondary room still overseen by Renaldo Hill, who will continue coaching the defensive backs. The hire does not replace a coordinator position. It adds experience to a cornerbacks group that has been shorthanded for much of the season.
What It Means For The Defensive Staff
Carolina restructured several roles in the wake of Evero’s dismissal. Defensive line coach Todd Wash was elevated to interim defensive coordinator and will call plays moving forward. Wash joined the staff in 2023 and brings 31 years of coaching experience, 20 of them in the NFL, including a five-year run as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive coordinator that produced the league’s second-ranked defense in 2017 and a trip to the AFC Championship game.
Outside linebackers coach and run game specialist AC Carter will take on added responsibility, now coaching the defensive line in addition to his existing duties. Bringing Hall back to handle cornerbacks allows Hill to keep his focus on the broader secondary picture while Wash and Carter absorb the front-seven coaching load.
Context Behind The Shakeup
Evero was hired by head coach Dave Canales in 2023, and the defense showed some progress under him. After finishing last in the league in total defense and points allowed in 2024, Carolina climbed to 16th in overall defense and 15th in points allowed in 2025.
That improvement did not carry into 2026. Through seven games, the Panthers ranked 23rd in the league overall and were the third worst against the run, according to ESPN. The run defense was a particular sore spot throughout Evero’s tenure, with Carolina surrendering 12 games of 200 or more rushing yards since 2024, far more than any other team.
The Giants and Commanders were next closest at six apiece. ESPN also reported that during Evero’s stretch with the team, the defense ranked 30th in scoring defense, 28th in pass rush win rate and last against the run.
Canales addressed the decision to move on from Evero, saying, “This falls squarely under the responsibilities of the head coach. As I was evaluating it and looking for what was best for the 2026 Carolina Panthers this was a decision that we discussed and weighed in all of the factors, the timing of it, the position of our group, all of those things to make the best decision going forward.”
Secondary Injuries Add Context
The timing of Hall’s hire follows a stretch in which Carolina’s cornerback depth has been tested. Starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson have both been sidelined by injury, and backup Akayleb Evans landed on injured reserve. Will Lee, who had stepped in as a fill-in starter, was injured in the first half against the Packers.
What’s Next
Wash is set to call plays as interim defensive coordinator for the first time as Carolina looks to right its defense over the final 10 games of the season. The Panthers have not announced a timeline for a permanent coordinator hire.
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