The Carolina Panthers have made changes to their coaching staff in the wake of sustaining their fourth consecutive loss.
The Panthers relieved defensive line coach Brady Hoke and assistant secondary/cornerbacks coach Jeff Imamura of their duties, the team announced Monday.
The dismissals come one day after the Panthers (6-6) dropped a 24-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Head coach Ron Rivera will handle play-calling duties with the defense as well as work with Richard Rodgers in the secondary.
First-year defensive coordinator Eric Washington will oversee the front seven while Sam Mills III will lead the defensive line, the team said.
“In my judgment, I felt this was best for the team moving forward,” Rivera said. “These are always difficult decisions, and I thank Brady and Jeff for their hard work. Ultimately, I’m charged with putting the team in the best position to succeed, and I felt these moves were necessary in order to do that.”
Rivera served as the defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears (2004-06) and again at San Diego before being named Carolina’s head coach in 2011.
Hoke, a former Michigan head coach, was hired in January and worked in the NFL for the first time after spending 34 years in the collegiate ranks. He replaced Washington, who was promoted to defensive coordinator after Steve Wilks was named the Arizona Cardinals head coach.
Hoke was the defensive line coach at Tennessee during the 2017 season, and served as the Volunteers’ interim head coach after Butch Jones was fired on Nov. 12. He was the head coach at Michigan from 2011-2014, and served as head coach at San Diego State from 2009-2010.
Imamura joined the Panthers in 2017 after spending the previous two seasons as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive assistant/quality control coach, focusing on the linebackers.
