Nick KrugThe Kansas football team has hired Jim Panagos, a longtime college defensive line coach, to serve in that role for the Jayhawks.
Panagos spent the last two seasons coaching the defensive line at Rutgers after one at Minnesota. He coached defensive linemen at Temple in 2017 and 2018, at Rutgers from 2012-15 and at UCF from 2007-11, and he was a coaching assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 2002-05.
A 1993 graduate of Maryland, Panagos will replace Kwahn Drake, who was fired in November after coach Lance Leipold completed his first season. His hiring completes the Jayhawks’ staff of 10 assistant coaches.
“Coach Panagos is an excellent addition to our coaching staff, and I’m very excited to work with him,” Leipold said in a news release announcing the hire. “He has a strong reputation as an outstanding recruiter, as well as a track record of developing his players. His experience and philosophies align well with our defensive staff and will benefit our defensive tackles and our defense as a whole.”
The 2009 FootballScoop National Defensive Line Coach of the Year and a former Broyles Award nominee, Panagos’ KU bio notes that he has coached more than 20 future NFL players during his time as a college coach.
Panagos coached at Rutgers in 2020 and 2021, Minnesota in 2019 and Temple in 2017 and 2018 before that. He also was with the Minnesota Vikings for four years.
In 2017, Panagos earned a nomination for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach annually, after helping lead the Owls to 39 sacks and 92 tackles-for-loss.
