John Fox (football coach)

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John Fox
John Fox talking to players Chris Gamble (middle) and Ken Lucas during an August 2, 2007 training camp practice in Spartanburg, SC.
Date of birth	February 8, 1955 (1955-02-08) (age 53)
Place of birth	Virginia Beach, Virginia
College	San Diego State
Career Highlights
Career Record	51-45-0 (Regular Season) 5-2 (Postseason) 56-47-0 (Overall)
Championships Won	2003 NFC Championship
Playing Stats	DatabaseFootball
Coaching Stats	Pro Football Reference
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1978 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986-1988 1989-1991 1992-1993 1994-1995 1996 1997-2001 2002-present	San Diego State University (graduate assistant) Boise State University (defensive backs coach) Long Beach State University (defensive backs coach) University of Utah (defensive backs coach) University of Kansas (defensive backs coach) Iowa State University (defensive backs coach) Los Angeles Express (defensive backs coach) University of Pittsburgh (defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach) Pittsburgh Steelers (defensive backs coach) San Diego Chargers (defensive backs coach) Los Angeles Raiders (defensive coordinator) St. Louis Rams (personnel consultant) New York Giants (defensive coordinator) Carolina Panthers (head coach)

John Fox (born February 8, 1955) is the third and current head coach of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

Fox was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia and raised in San Diego, California after moving there at age 15. Fox played football at Castle Park High School and Southwestern College (California) in Chula Vista from 1974-1975 before going to San Diego State, where he played defensive back with future NFL player & head coach Herman Edwards. Fox received a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned teaching credentials from San Diego State.

In 1983, John Fox was a member of Mike Gottfried's University of Kansas staff, as the secondary coach. While there he roamed the sidelines of the oldest standing stadium west of the Mississippi River. He coached at the school that produced such legends as John Hadl, John Riggins, and Gale Sayers.

Fox began his first professional football coaching stint in the short-lived United States Football League with the Los Angeles Express. He entered the NFL in 1989 as the secondary coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, later also holding this job with the San Diego Chargers. Fox was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Raiders and later that of the New York Giants during Super Bowl XXXV, which they lost.

In 2002 Fox was signed as the third head coach of the Panthers, whose previous coach George Seifert had led the team to a disastrous 1-15 record in 2001. Fox's first regular season game was a 10-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens which ended the Panthers' 15-game losing streak dating to the previous season. Fox and the Panthers posted a 7-9 record for the 2002 season (his first with the team), demonstrating a drastic improvement over the previous season.

In the 2003 season Fox led the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII, losing 32-29 to the New England Patriots on a last-minute field goal by Adam Vinatieri (which was also the margin of victory for the Patriots in their Super Bowl victories in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXIX). In taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl, Fox joined Vince Lombardi as the only coaches to inherit a team that had won only one game in the season immediately prior to their hiring, and then took that team to the Super Bowl. John Fox took the Carolina Panthers to the NFC Championship game in the 2005 season, but they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks.

The 2006 season was disappointing for Fox and the Panthers, as a team that had Super Bowl aspirations fell out of the playoffs.

[edit] Head Coaching record

W-L Record		Regular Season				Playoffs			Total
Season	Team	Wins	Loses	Ties	Winning %	Wins	Loses	Winning %	Wins	Loses	Ties	Winning %
2002	Carolina	7	9	0	.438	0	0	.000	7	9	0	.438
2003	Carolina	11	5	0	.688	3	1	.750	14	6	0	.700
2004	Carolina	7	9	0	.438	0	0	.000	7	9	0	.438
2005	Carolina	11	5	0	.688	2	1	.667	13	6	0	.684
2006	Carolina	8	8	0	.500	0	0	.000	8	8	0	.500
2007	Carolina	7	9	0	.438	0	0	.000	7	9	0	.438
Total	6 seasons	51	45	0	.531	5	2	.714	56	47	0	.544

Preceded by Mike Nolan	New York Giants Defensive Coordinator 1997-2002	Succeeded by Johnnie Lynn
Preceded by George Seifert	Carolina Panthers Head Coaches 2002–present	Succeeded by Current Coach