Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula has "been relieved of his duties," the NFL team announced on Tuesday.
The Panthers also fired quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey.
Shula has spent the past five seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator after serving as the Panthers' quarterback coach during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Dorsey had been the quarterbacks coach for the past five seasons.
The announcement came one day after Carolina coach Ron Rivera said he didn't anticipate making any changes to the Panthers' coaching staff.
"I don't think so," Rivera said during a press conference on Monday when asked if he planned any coaching changes. "I think the things that we've done are the right kind of things. These are all things we need to look at and evaluate, and we'll go through that process. As I said, it will be business as usual. We'll go through our player evaluations tomorrow, and I'll sit down with the coaches and talk about our players. We'll sit down with (interim general manager) Marty (Hurney) and go through all that. I'll evaluate the coaches, the scheme and we'll go from that. I know Marty and I will sit down and talk about those things, and we'll make decisions and go forward."
FOR MORE OF AL.COM'S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
During Shula's five seasons as offensive coordinator, the Panthers won the NFC South three times, went to the playoffs four times, won the conference championship once and posted a 51-28-1 regular-season record.
Carolina had the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense in 2015, when quarterbackCam Newton won the league's Most Valuable Player Award.
The Panthers' 2017 season ended on Sunday in a 31-26 loss to the New Orleans Saints in a playoff game. Among the NFL's 32 teams during the regular season, Carolina finished 12th in points, 19th in total yards, fourth in rushing yards and 28th in passing yards.
NFL Playoffs: Saints turn back Cam Newton, Panthers
Twelve players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field on Sunday during the NFL's two playoff games, which were won by the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason, Newton had a career-high 754 rushing yards. But the former Auburn star had the second-worst passer rating of his career, after having his worst mark last season, and his average of 206.4 passing yards per game was the lowest of his career.
Shula was Alabama's starting quarterback during the 1984 through 1986 seasons, and he returned to coach the Crimson Tide from 2003 through 2006.
Carolina Panthers fire offensive coordinator Mike Shula
The Panthers also fired quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey.
Shula has spent the past five seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator after serving as the Panthers' quarterback coach during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Dorsey had been the quarterbacks coach for the past five seasons.
The announcement came one day after Carolina coach Ron Rivera said he didn't anticipate making any changes to the Panthers' coaching staff.
"I don't think so," Rivera said during a press conference on Monday when asked if he planned any coaching changes. "I think the things that we've done are the right kind of things. These are all things we need to look at and evaluate, and we'll go through that process. As I said, it will be business as usual. We'll go through our player evaluations tomorrow, and I'll sit down with the coaches and talk about our players. We'll sit down with (interim general manager) Marty (Hurney) and go through all that. I'll evaluate the coaches, the scheme and we'll go from that. I know Marty and I will sit down and talk about those things, and we'll make decisions and go forward."
FOR MORE OF AL.COM'S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
During Shula's five seasons as offensive coordinator, the Panthers won the NFC South three times, went to the playoffs four times, won the conference championship once and posted a 51-28-1 regular-season record.
Carolina had the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense in 2015, when quarterbackCam Newton won the league's Most Valuable Player Award.
The Panthers' 2017 season ended on Sunday in a 31-26 loss to the New Orleans Saints in a playoff game. Among the NFL's 32 teams during the regular season, Carolina finished 12th in points, 19th in total yards, fourth in rushing yards and 28th in passing yards.
NFL Playoffs: Saints turn back Cam Newton, Panthers
Twelve players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field on Sunday during the NFL's two playoff games, which were won by the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason, Newton had a career-high 754 rushing yards. But the former Auburn star had the second-worst passer rating of his career, after having his worst mark last season, and his average of 206.4 passing yards per game was the lowest of his career.
Shula was Alabama's starting quarterback during the 1984 through 1986 seasons, and he returned to coach the Crimson Tide from 2003 through 2006.
Carolina Panthers fire offensive coordinator Mike Shula
