UPDATE: The team confirmed that Brown was interviewed.
Add another name to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator list. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the team is interviewing Carolina Panthers’ OC Thomas Brown for the same role. Dulac tweeted out the news a short time ago.
He becomes the third reported name the Steelers have expressed interest in, joining the Los Angeles Rams’ Zac Robinson and USC’s Kliff Kingsbury. However, as Dulac notes, this is the first actual interview that’s taken place. Brown’s interview also satisfies the Rooney Rule requiring at least one minority be interviewed for a coordinator position.
Brown was hired as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, though he wasn’t initially tabbed as the team’s playcaller. Head coach Frank Reich partially held those duties throughout the year, though Brown was given play-calling opportunities for a handful of games before Reich took control back.
Brown, like Zac Robinson, has Los Angeles Rams ties. He worked for the team from 2020 to 2022, wearing multiple hats. He began as the team’s running backs coach before becoming the team’s Assistant Head Coach in 2021 and adding tight ends coach while removing his RBs Coach label in 2022.
Brown, 37, was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent three years in the league before becoming a coach in 2011. He spent several years in college before making the NFL jump in 2020 with the Rams.
Brown surprisingly made the move to Carolina for the 2023 season after a successful stint in Los Angeles that had him on the fast track for a potential head coaching role. He even received two interviews from the Tennessee Titans for their previous head coach opening before the Titans hired Brian Callahan a few days ago.
His time in Carolina was unsuccessful as things spiraled out of control. After selecting quarterback Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, the Panthers really struggled in 2023, especially on offense. The Panthers were dead last in yards per game (265.3), last in passing yards (161.2) but were 20th in rushing yards per game (104.1) on the season.
Carolina tied New England for fewest points per game on the season with just 13.9.
Brown took over play-calling from Reich in Weeks 8-10 on the season, leading the Panthers to a 1-2 mark in that stretch. However, the Panthers scored just 15, 13 and 13 points in those three games with Brown as the play-caller before Reich took back over duties, a move that Reich stated emphatically wasn’t a reflection on Brown.
“Thomas is still running the show as far as the offense and all the install meetings and game plans. He’s still at the center,” Reich said back in mid-November after announcing he was taking over play-calling duties, according to NFL.com. “He and I work together like we’ve been all year. I trust Thomas more than anybody, and he’s helped me become a better coach and better man.”
Two weeks later, Reich was fired, leading to Brown taking over the play-calling duties again.
Brown called plays for the final six games of the season and helped Carolina to its second win of the season in a 9-7 win over the Falcons. He also oversaw a 30-point outburst against Green Bay in Week 16, though it was a 33-30 loss before the Panthers were shut out in the final two games of the season.
Prior to his time in the NFL, Brown spent the early part of his coaching career in the college ranks, coaching running backs at South Carolina, Miami (Fla.), Georgia, Wisconsin, Marshall, and Chattanooga before coaching in the NFL with the Rams. Brown was also the offensive coordinator at Miami from 2016-18.
