The Panthers changed coaches and added pieces in an effort to improve special teams this offseason, but now that unit is facing an unforeseen and unfortunate circumstance.According to league sources, special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven is currently taking some time away from the team to deal with an undisclosed medical issue. The hope is he will eventually return, but the Panthers are expected to name a new, veteran special teams coordinator* as early as this week.DeHaven, 66, was promoted in February when Richard Rodgers was reassigned as an assistant defensive backs coach. The Panthers gave up four special teams touchdowns in 2014 and finished last in the league in net yards per punt and average yards per punt return.Before he came to Charlotte in 2013, DeHaven compiled 26 years of experience leading special teams units in Buffalo, San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle. A couple weeks after he took the reigns in Carolina, he said:“The first thing we want to do is eliminate mistakes, eliminate big plays. We’d like to finish the season without having ever cost ourselves a game on special teams. The next step after that is we want to do some things to help us win.”*(UPDATE: Tues., May 5, 2:40 p.m.)The Panthers announced DeHaven’s leave of absence Tuesday afternoon.“Our thoughts are with Bruce and his family, and we wish him a quick recovery,” coach Ron Rivera said in a statement.” “Out of respect for Bruce and his family’s privacy, no additional information will be disclosed.”The team also named Russ Purnell special teams coordinator in DeHaven’s absence. Purnell has been out of coaching since 2012, but he has 26 years of NFL experience.Purnell’s Special Teams Coordinator Background
- Omaha Nighthawks (UFL) 2012
- Jaguars 2009-11
- Colts 2002-08**
- Ravens 1999-01**
- Houston/Tennessee 1995-98
- Seahawks 1992-94
**Super Bowl winning teams
[vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]
Terrible news for DeHaven. I wish him a speedy recovery. I hope Ron has a trick or two up his sleeve. I was looking forward to DeHaven’s squad taking the field. Looks like we’re going to have to roll with the unknown, which scares the hell out of me.
Terrible news for DeHaven. I wish him a speedy recovery. I hope Ron has a trick or two up his sleeve. I was looking forward to DeHaven’s squad taking the field. Looks like we’re going to have to roll with the unknown, which scares the hell out of me.
I gladly second RR’s comments, and add my sympathies as well.
If it had to happen, I guess this is the best time, before OTA’s, so they don’t have much to unlearn.
I gladly second RR’s comments, and add my sympathies as well.
If it had to happen, I guess this is the best time, before OTA’s, so they don’t have much to unlearn.
I know Bersin was awful in the playoffs but in his defense he had absolutely no blocking. Hopefully we don’t have to fair catch every punt this year.
We also had no blocking on field goal or punt teams. Minn blocked two of our punts and Seattle’s Kam jumped over our FG line twice.
We had a huge lack of coaching on special teams last year. One other thing I seen,, everybody remembers when Bersin failed to get out of the way of that punt. He did the same thing in the game before but the ball bounced the other way so no harm done but what gets me is,, if I seen it why didn’t the ST coach see it and correct Bersin so he didn’t do it again?
DeHaven wasn’t over special teams but he was ST assistant and Rodgers had no business being ST coach. I felt like both those guys let us down last year but ultimately it was Rodger’s responsibility.
I know Bersin was awful in the playoffs but in his defense he had absolutely no blocking. Hopefully we don’t have to fair catch every punt this year.
We also had no blocking on field goal or punt teams. Minn blocked two of our punts and Seattle’s Kam jumped over our FG line twice.
We had a huge lack of coaching on special teams last year. One other thing I seen,, everybody remembers when Bersin failed to get out of the way of that punt. He did the same thing in the game before but the ball bounced the other way so no harm done but what gets me is,, if I seen it why didn’t the ST coach see it and correct Bersin so he didn’t do it again?
DeHaven wasn’t over special teams but he was ST assistant and Rodgers had no business being ST coach. I felt like both those guys let us down last year but ultimately it was Rodger’s responsibility.