Panthers Fire Henning (1 Viewer)

[goldfinger]

What happened to Jim Skipper? I thought he would be a candidate.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Davidson's first interview:

MOBILE, Ala. - Once upon a time, Carolina coach John Fox wanted to hire Charlie Weis to be his offensive coordinator.That didn't happen because Weis was under contract for that role with New England when Fox was hired in 2002.Now, at a critical juncture in his career, Fox has turned to a Weis disciple.After firing offensive coordinator Dan Henning following a disappointing 8-8 season, Fox has hired Jeff Davidson, 39, as offensive coordinator.Davidson, a former NFL offensive lineman, has spent his career working with linemen and tight ends. He joined the Patriots in 1997 and worked with Weis until Weis left to coach at Notre Dame.Davidson followed former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to Cleveland in 2005. With Carolina, he'll be entering his first full season as a coordinator.Before the Senior Bowl practice Wednesday, he talked with the Observer about his past and his plans for the offense:Q. Fox is a ball-control guy. What's your basic philosophy? The biggest reason I'm here is that John and I are on the same page. We think alike. I like to run the ball, but I don't want to do it to the point of where you're beating your head against the wall. It's not going to be 100 percent run, and it's not going to be 100 percent pass. Is it going to be exactly 50-50? I'd like to get close to it.Q. What do you know about the Panthers' personnel? There are some guys that you have to game plan for because they're really good in certain areas. I don't want to get too deep into the individual personnel right now until I've had a chance to see the film from last season. That's the first thing I'll do when I get settled in. I want to determine where each player ranks and see what the needs are and try to find the best way to utilize everyone.Q. As a former offensive lineman, do you bring that kind of attitude? Coach Fox and I both believe in being a tough, physical team. What I like is when a team walks away from playing us (and) they're black-and-blue from playing us. That's what I believe in. With the guys that I know are there already, I think we've got the ingredients for being a tough team.Q. Who are some of the coaches who have influenced you most? The guy that I learned the most from is Charlie Weis. I spent a lot of time with him in New England. He's the guy that, to this day, if I ever have a question on how to call a type of play or what formation to use or how to best utilize your personnel, I'll call him. If I don't know the answer, he will.Q. One of Weis' strengths is his ability to adapt to situations in a game. Is that one of your strengths? Yes, and that's something that I stressed when I came in to talk to coach Fox. I think the strength of an offense is trying to find a lot of different personnel groups and different formations, but minimizing the number of concepts in both the run and the pass.Q. Do you think Weis was a factor in you getting this job? I'm sure it had something to do with it. Charlie and I are good friends, and I hope coach Fox and I end up with that same kind of relationship.Q. Are you kind of licking your chops because you'll have Steve Smith to work with? There's no doubt. I'd be a fool not to say I'm looking forward to working with a guy like that. But I also believe you've got to develop some other directions. A team can take a Steve Smith away if you're not willing to find other guys to go to in the passing game.Q. Are you comfortable working with such an established offensive staff? When I (interviewed), I spent three or four hours meeting with those guys. The bottom line is, when I walked out of there, I felt great with the situation. There's a lot of experience. The thing I want to walk out of that room knowing is that it's not just my idea or Mike McCoy's idea or Jim Skipper's idea or Richard Williamson's idea or Dave Magazu's idea -- but that we all share that idea. We take my idea and their ideas, and we get a better idea.Q. Is that how it worked with Charlie? Yes. It was not a dictatorship. I believe in input. I want to pick everybody's brain and walk out of that room with what we all consider the best plan.Jeff DavidsonAGE: 39BORN: Oct. 3, 1967 in Akron, OhioFAMILY: Wife, Judi; sons, Nicholas and AlexanderCOLLEGE: Four-year letterman as an offensive lineman at Ohio StateNFL PLAYING EXPERIENCE: Drafted by Denver in the fifth round in 1990. Played four seasons with the Broncos and Saints. For Denver, started every game at left tackle in 1991 and every game at left guard in 1992.COACHING EXPERIENCE: Started as a volunteer assistant for the Saints on Jim Mora's staff in 1995. Joined the Patriots in 1997; spent eight seasons there coaching tight ends and assisting with the offensive line. Joined the Browns as offensive line coach in 2005. Took over as offensive coordinator for final 10 games this past season after Maurice Carthon was fired.

 

[H.K.]

HENNING PROUD OF TIME WITH PANTHERS

Charlotte was where Dan Henning had hoped to finish his long and respected NFL career.

Being the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers would be his last job, he believed. He would help build something out of nothing and maybe even win a Super Bowl, one last time.

That dream ended abruptly Monday, when the Panthers fired Henning, who had been one of coach John Fox's first hires in 2002. Also purged were offensive line coach Mike Maser and defensive backs coach Rod Perry.

"I came here with the idea that when Marty (general manager Hurney) and John called me, everything was down and we would be trying to build it up," Henning said Thursday. "We did that, and then I stayed on for the chance to win the big one."

It almost happened. The 2003 season found the Panthers in the Super Bowl, and the 2005 team reached the NFC title game. Carolina was expected to go far in the playoffs this season, but was 8-8, prompting the changes.

And leaving Henning uncertain if he wants to coach again.

"I haven't even addressed that," he said. "When I signed my last contract here (in 2004) I thought it would be my last; it was originally for a couple years, but they asked me to sign on for longer. I'll be 65 in June. I've spent a lot of time here, and I have a house in Ponte Vedra (Fla.) and I'd like to catch up on that.

"If I was going to coach, I wanted to coach here where we put this thing together."

Should Henning decide to stay in the game, expect his next job to be on the staff of an old friend such as Dallas' Bill Parcells or Washington's Joe Gibbs, possibly in an advisory position.

As this season progressed, Carolina had difficulty scoring, and much of the fans' wrath was directed at Henning. Thursday, speaking by phone from the uptown hotel in which he lived during the season, he fired back.

"I'm probably a lot more conservative in my politics than I am in my football," he said. "We coached here under a certain (ball control) philosophy and I think we did a pretty good job of it."

Several factors contributed to the offensive woes in 2006. Carolina was last in the league in kickoff and punt returns, and also forced 22 turnovers, down from 42 the previous season. That combination proved disastrous for the Panthers' field position - in 2006 they started 80 drives from inside their 20, compared with 50 the season before.

There are some on the team who believe Henning and the others were merely convenient targets for the team's failures. One offensive starter said, "I guess they had to do something. Nobody wants to be sitting around a year from now knowing nothing had been changed."

Henning made his case emphatically, but refused to complain about his dismissal.

"Living in downtown Charlotte, I met some great people here and had a marvelous experience here," he said. "I liked Charlotte. I coached with some top-notch coaches, and now I'm off to do whatever I'm going to do."

When asked if he felt he was made a scapegoat, you could almost see that tight, wry Henning smile.

"The offense played without (wide receiver) Steve Smith the first two weeks, without (running back) DeAngelo Williams for four and without Jake for three at the end. We were without (offensive line starters) Travelle Wharton and Justin Hartwig most of the season.

"I'm proud of what they did and proud of the resurrection from 1-15 (in 2001). We were 44-36 plus 5-2 in the playoffs, and we won some really big games during the season.

"We had gotten a handle on the problem that we couldn't win in Atlanta; we won some big games against Dallas and in Chicago. We did a pretty fine job against the Baltimore defense this year, and early when New Orleans was undefeated, we beat them with an effort that included a 99-yard drive.

"And I'm going to leave it at that."

Then, with a quick goodbye, Henning hung up the phone, his Panthers days now just a piece of a 28-year career, his future still awaiting his decision.

Henning says ...

The Panthers fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning on Monday. Here are some of his thoughts on his time with Carolina:

"Everybody compares this (season) to (2005), but we had the same amount of first downs (278), the same amount of yardage (307.7 in 2006, 309.4 in '05). But we were last in field position in the NFL; we didn't have big-time punt and kickoff return games."

"Last year (2005), we started 28 drives inside the opponent's' 40; this year we had only 7. You have to move the ball the same, but you don't get it as close."

"If you take the stats from 2003 and `05, we were the leading offensive team in the playoffs both years. And in 2004 at the end of the year after we recovered from all the injuries, we were exciting, we moved the football and put points on the board."

The problem was the defense and OL. For the Panthers offense to improve, it will be because of these two areas, not play calling.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

More from Davidson in another Q & A:

Here’s what Davidson had to say:Q. The fans around here are extremely anxious to hear about what type of offense you will run this season. Can you give us an idea of what to expect?Davidson: “There’s a lot of people that come in and will say, ‘We’re only going to run the ball,’ and there are guys that will come in say they’re going to throw the ball. To me, it’s not going to be 50-50, but it’s going to be pretty close. I think it’s important that we’re able to take advantage of teams that are willing to play eight in the box against us. I don’t know that we have to sit there and just beat our heads against the wall running the ball. We have to be able to threaten all three levels of the field in the passing game (short, intermediate and deep routes) and also have that toughness I want to instill in this offense. When we come out of games, we want the defense we play against to know that we were the more physical team.”Q. I think fans perceive John Fox as a ball-control type coach, but it sounds like you are willing to throw the ball around the yard a little bit?Davidson: “Oh, I am. I think it’s important that defenses feel like we can throw the ball. We’re not going to go into a game saying, ‘We’re going to run the ball 70 times and throw it five.’ I just don’t believe in that. I want to be as close to balanced (50 percent runs, 50 percent passes) as possible. I want to be to throw the ball when we want and run it when we want. I think you have to be able to go to the line of scrimmage and figure out which one is best based on what the defense is giving you.”Q. Inevitably, you will get compared to the offensive coordinator before you, Dan Henning. He received a lot of criticism for not using the tight end much in the passing game. Will the tight end be a big part of the passing game, or at least more so than it has been here in the past?Davidson: “I don’t want to compare myself to Dan Henning or other coaches, but do I think the tight end is important in the passing game? Yes I do. I would like to involve the tight end and, really, all of the receivers on the field. So it would be unfair to say that I’m going to go in there with the play to throw it to Steve Smith on every play. That will not be in the system.“We will have a progression that we will work through. If Steve Smith is the first one in that progression and he’s open, then that’s where we are throwing the ball. If the tight end is the first progression and he’s open, then that’s where we’re throwing the ball. If the tight end is second in the progression and we were unable to get the first guy the ball, then we will throw to the tight end.“So yes, the tight end will be involved. When I took over Cleveland’s offense last year we ended up throwing to the tight end (Kellen Winslow led the Cleveland Browns with 89 receptions in 2006) the majority of the time.”Q. What about screen passes?Davidson: “I love them. I consider them possession passes that we will work on early and often and get it to where the timing of it is something that is second nature for our linemen and our backs.”Q. What about draw plays on third and long?Davidson: “I’d like to avoid third and long altogether. A lot of that goes back to what you’re doing on first and second down. If you’re throwing the ball and you get a penalty and you run the ball and you get a hold, that to me is negative football. I want to get to the point where I’m instilling that in the players that we’re going to find a way to play without that. We’re going to play without negative football — in other words, sacks, penalties, fumbles, interceptions — all of those things we consider negative football we’re going to do without.”Q. There were times last season when Jake Delhomme struggled, but times in the past where he’s looked outstanding. What are your thoughts on him?Davidson: “Obviously there is something there to work with, but again, I’m going to withhold talking about guys individually until I feel like I know them. I want to see the whole season. I want to watch all of the games and I haven’t had a chance yet. To be fair to me and to be fair to the players I would prefer to talk about that down the road.”Q. You have two backs in DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams and neither are considered a power back. But it doesn’t sound like you are running an offense that requires a power back — is that a true statement?Davidson: “I can tell you this. With the background I have in this offense, there is enough flexibility in the system to get this to where this is our offense and do the things we’re capable of doing and get good at it by week one. If that requires us running in a power-type running game we will do that and we will find the guys that are capable of doing that. If we aren’t capable of doing that we will find a different way. But we are going to be a tough-minded football team. That doesn’t always mean it’s power running, but there is in an attitude we’re trying to create with the running game.”Q. I know you faced the Panthers in the Super Bowl when you were with New England. Do you have any thoughts from watching Carolina from a distance through the years?Davidson: “Well, John Fox has been here for five years now and that is something that has always stuck in my head — that if you make a mistake you’re going to lose. They are well coached and their defense has always been very good and I think that is the strength of the team. I hope that we can get this to the point where we’re more balanced.“To me we have to understand our presence in the game and what our job is. Our job is to get conversions, make first downs and put drives together and ultimately score. That is the offense’s job - to put points on the board, not just to keep the ball away from the opponent. We want to put points on the board.”Q. What brought you here to Carolina?Davidson: “The most important thing in my mind was the camaraderie I felt on the staff. I think there’s a good mix of good young coaches and more experienced coaches. There are things I feel like I can learn from this situation and there are things I can bring to this situation. So I think there’s a good trade off. Just the little time I spent in the offensive room I knew there was going to be a good exchange of information. I think that’s important.”Q. Keyshawn Johnson said after the season he might not come back if the team fired Henning? Have you spoke to Johnson yet?Davidson: “I have not. But I want to talk to all of the players. I think it’s important and develop a relationship. I think that’s an important part of being a coach.”