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03-29-2006, 10:30 AM
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John Fox has compiled a 36-28 record as head coach of the Panthers.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers have given coach John Fox a five-year contract extension as a reward for taking them deep into the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.
Fox, who had two years left on his current contract, received a deal that runs through 2010 and will pay him close to $5 million a season. The Panthers announced the extension Monday at the NFL meetings.
"We are very pleased to sign John to a five-year contract," team president Mark Richardson said. "He has been a great asset to our team as well as our community in taking us to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl in the last three seasons. It's a relationship that has worked and we look forward to the future."
Fox had been defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when Carolina hired him to replace George Seifert after the Panthers' humiliating 1-15 season in 2001. He went to work immediately on improving the team's toughness and changing the makeup from Seifert's West Coast offense to a run-first, defensive-minded philosophy.
"He's been a tremendous fit for us from the day he first came in to interview with us," general manager Marty Hurney said. "He's a tremendous person for us. He's fun to work with and he has a great feel for the game, the players and our current system."
Carolina went 7-9 his first season, and Fox took the Panthers to their first Super Bowl the next year. He brought the Panthers back to the NFC championship last season, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
Many consider Fox's finest season to be 2004, the year after the Super Bowl season. He lost more than a dozen players to season-ending injuries during a 1-7 start. But Fox coaxed a patchwork group of replacements into six wins in their final seven games and a 7-9 finish.
Fox has a 36-28 regular-season record, and is 5-2 in the playoffs.
"I have been very happy at Carolina working with the Richardson family and Marty Hurney," Fox said. "I appreciate the confidence they showed in me four years ago when I was an assistant coach and feel the same way now as I enter this new contract.
"It has been a great relationship that I look forward to continuing."
Associated Press.
It is no suprise that the Panthers would want to hold on to John Fox after all that he has done to turn the team around and make them into a real threat especially with the great defense they have..
John Fox has compiled a 36-28 record as head coach of the Panthers.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers have given coach John Fox a five-year contract extension as a reward for taking them deep into the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.
Fox, who had two years left on his current contract, received a deal that runs through 2010 and will pay him close to $5 million a season. The Panthers announced the extension Monday at the NFL meetings.
"We are very pleased to sign John to a five-year contract," team president Mark Richardson said. "He has been a great asset to our team as well as our community in taking us to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl in the last three seasons. It's a relationship that has worked and we look forward to the future."
Fox had been defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when Carolina hired him to replace George Seifert after the Panthers' humiliating 1-15 season in 2001. He went to work immediately on improving the team's toughness and changing the makeup from Seifert's West Coast offense to a run-first, defensive-minded philosophy.
"He's been a tremendous fit for us from the day he first came in to interview with us," general manager Marty Hurney said. "He's a tremendous person for us. He's fun to work with and he has a great feel for the game, the players and our current system."
Carolina went 7-9 his first season, and Fox took the Panthers to their first Super Bowl the next year. He brought the Panthers back to the NFC championship last season, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
Many consider Fox's finest season to be 2004, the year after the Super Bowl season. He lost more than a dozen players to season-ending injuries during a 1-7 start. But Fox coaxed a patchwork group of replacements into six wins in their final seven games and a 7-9 finish.
Fox has a 36-28 regular-season record, and is 5-2 in the playoffs.
"I have been very happy at Carolina working with the Richardson family and Marty Hurney," Fox said. "I appreciate the confidence they showed in me four years ago when I was an assistant coach and feel the same way now as I enter this new contract.
"It has been a great relationship that I look forward to continuing."
Associated Press.
It is no suprise that the Panthers would want to hold on to John Fox after all that he has done to turn the team around and make them into a real threat especially with the great defense they have..