Thomas Brown could have stayed in Los Angeles where he was comfortable but that is not how the Carolina Panthers’ new offensive coordinator is wired.
“I’m always trying to run from comfort. I think it’s easy to sit in my comfort zone and do what I’ve always done. But I’ve always sought growth,” Brown said at his introductory press conference on Thursday. “And, unfortunately, growth and comfort don’t exist in the same place.”
Brown joins head coach Frank Reich’s staff after three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. There, he was promoted each year and won Super Bowl LVI. It only takes a couple of minutes to understand why Brown, 36, is regarded as a commanding leader with an NFL head-coaching future.
On a staff filled with two former head coaches and eight former players (including Brown), the former Georgia running back standout is already spreading his influence through the Panthers’ facility just four days into the job.
“I’ll lean heavily on Thomas. I can already tell. I had a meeting with him this morning and I felt wisdom, conviction and strength,” Reich said on Monday of Brown. “All three of our coordinators are and will be legit head-coaching candidates.”
Brown interviewed for an NFL head-coaching job and five different offensive coordinator jobs this offseason. He has not called plays since his time at the University of Miami from 2016 to 2018 and will not be calling plays in Carolina, but that could change.
Brown’s presence as a leader and challenge seeker separated him from Carolina’s other offensive coordinator candidates. His football knowledge and vision for how an offense should operate puts him in a prime position to take over play-calling responsibilities whenever Reich decides the time is right.
‘Illusion of complexity’
Assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley was a part of the Panthers’ offensive coordinator search. Staley said Brown impressed Carolina’s staff with his delivery and attention to detail. Brown has a way of talking to a room as if he’s always in front of an NFL roster, making his vision for the Panthers’ offense easily digestible.
“Everybody talks about being balanced offensively. Balance doesn’t mean always 50-50 from a run-pass standpoint. It means winning the football game,” Brown said. “Stats are awesome, but the No. 1 goal is to win football games. So, if we have to throw it 40 times to win or run the ball 40 times to win, it’s all based on a collaborative effort.”
Brown plans on building on Carolina’s strengths up front by constructing a physical offense that does not beat itself and highlights playmakers. The Panthers could potentially bring back 10 of 11 offensive starters from last season depending on what happens at running back and center.
Without a proven quarterback on the roster, Carolina will have to rely on its scheme, offensive line and playmakers to offer support for the next signal-caller. Brown will rely on what he calls the “illusion of complexity” to do so.
“Being able to mirror the run to the pass creates chaos for the defense, but keeps it simple for us,” Brown said. “Then being able to pick and choose your spots to attack with tempo. You have to earn your right to use tempo with early down efficiency. And finally, being situational masters. Win first and second down so you can be in third-and-manageable. (Master) the two-minute offense, end-of-half (situations) and scoring touchdowns in the red zone.”
A collaborative staff
Brown called the Panthers’ coaching staff an all-star cast. But this isn’t the first time he has worked with some of the brightest minds in football.
With the Rams, Brown learned underneath the NFL’s wunderkind in Sean McVay. But those staffs were loaded with future play-callers and head coaches. In just three seasons in Los Angeles, Brown coached alongside Kevin O’Connell (Vikings head coach), Liam Coen (Kentucky offensive coordinator), Shane Waldron (Seahawks offensive coordinator), Brandon Staley (Chargers head coach), Raheem Morris (Rams defensive coordinator) and new Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
In Carolina, Brown joins a staff with more than 190 years of NFL coaching experience. From Jim Caldwell to Dom Capers, Reich, Staley, receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, and offensive line coach James Campen, Brown is again surrounded by football expertise.
His time in Los Angeles prepared him to effectively collaborate on a staff filled with influential voices.
“It’s about being able to always understand what is right over who was right. Being able to take a back seat sometimes on what I feel like might be best for me versus what’s gonna be best for the entire football team,” Brown said. “It’s a collaborative effort altogether. And I guess we’ll find out when fall comes.”
