Carl Smith enters his first season with Carolina as a senior offensive consultant. He has more than 45 years of coaching experience, being a part of six division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl victory.

Carl Smith enters his first season with Carolina as a senior offensive consultant. He has more than 45 years of coaching experience, being a part of six division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl victory.

Smith most recently served as associate head coach for Seattle for three seasons (2021-23), returning to the team after a previous stint (2011-18). In 2022, quarterback Geno Smith earned Comeback Player of the Year, setting career highs in completion percentage (69.8), passing yards (4,282) and touchdown passes (30).

As offensive consultant for Houston (2020), the Texans had the league's fourth-ranked passing offense, as quarterback Deshaun Watson had a career year in attempts (544), completions (382), completion percentage (70.2%), yards (4,823), touchdowns (33), fewest interceptions (7) and passer rating (112.4). Watson also gained 444 rushing yards, the second-most of his career.

In 2019, with Smith on staff, Watson directed a Texans offense that tied the team record for most total touchdowns scored (46) in a single season in team history (2009, 2012) and set franchise records for highest redzone touchdown percentage (64.2) and fewest three-and-outs (24). He was named to a second consecutive Pro Bowl after a stellar season that saw him win AFC Offensive Player of the Month (October) and a franchise-record three player of the week awards. Watson also tallied seven rushing touchdowns, a franchise record for a QB and the second most among NFL quarterbacks that season.

Smith was the associate head coach of the Seahawks (2018) after spending the prior seven seasons as the Seahawks quarterbacks coach (2011-17). From 2012-17, Smith mentored quarterback Russell Wilson, as the QB became the third-youngest Super Bowl winning starting quarterback in NFL history. Overall, Smith guided Wilson to 73 victories (regular season and postseason), which marks the most victories in a player's first six seasons in league history. Under Smith, Wilson threw the third-most touchdown passes (161) in a player's first six seasons in NFL history, trailing only Dan Marino and Peyton Manning.

Wilson became the first player in NFL history to record a 100.0 passer rating in each of his first two seasons in the league, and broke his own franchise record (101.2 rating in 2013) with a league-leading 110.1 passer rating in 2015. Wilson also became the first quarterback in NFL history with a winning record in each of his first six seasons.

Prior to joining the Seahawks, Smith spent two seasons as the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach (2009-10), his second stint with the Browns, having also coached quarterbacks in Cleveland (2001-03).

He spent 13 seasons as an offensive coordinator, last leading the Jaguars offense (2005-06). In 2006, Jacksonville's offense ranked 10th in the NFL in total offense and third in rushing yards per game with an average of 158.8. In 2005, the Jaguars scored 361 points, 100 more than the previous season, and finished with a 12-4 record.

Prior to his time in Jacksonville, Smith worked at the University of Southern California (2004), where hementored Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and helped the Trojans win the National Championship.

Smith served as the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots (1997). Under Smith's tutelage, quarterback Drew Bledsoe completed more than 60 percent of his passes, threw for more than 3,700 yards and set career highs in touchdown passes (28) and passer rating (87.7) as he was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1997. Smith would later transition to the Patriots tight ends coach (1998-99).

Smith began his NFL coaching career with the New Orleans Saints (1986), serving as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for 11 seasons. During that time, the franchise recorded its first-ever winning season, earned its first playoff berth, won its first division title and qualified for the postseason on four occasions.

Prior to the NFL, Smith was an assistant at the collegiate level for 12 seasons, with the final six as an offensive coordinator.

Smith lettered in football as a defensive back at California Poly-San Luis Obispo (1969-70) after transferring from Bakersfield College where he played quarterback (1966-67). He earned his bachelor's degree in 1971 and master's degree in 1972 in physical education from Cal Poly.

A native of Wasco, Calif., Smith and his wife, Dianne, have three sons, Tracy, Tyler and Nicholas, two grandsons, Troy and Bo, and a granddaughter, Lane. Smith's son, Tracy, serves as Carolina's special teams coordinator.

Coaching Career:

• 1971 | Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo – Graduate Assistant
• 1972 | University of Colorado – Graduate Assistant
• 1973 | University of Colorado – Linebackers
• 1974 | University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Defensive Line
• 1975-76 | University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Defensive Backs
• 1977-78 | University of Louisiana-Lafayette – Offensive Coordinator
• 1979-80 | Lamar University – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• 1981 | Lamar University – Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
• 1982 | North Carolina State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• 1983 | Philadelphia Stars (USFL) – Tight Ends/Special Teams
• 1984-85 | Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (USFL) – Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
• 1986-96 | New Orleans Saints – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• 1997 | New England Patriots – Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks
• 1998-99 | New England Patriots – Tight Ends
• 2001-03 | Cleveland Browns - Quarterbacks
• 2004 | USC - Quarterbacks
• 2005-06 | Jacksonville Jaguars – Offensive Coordinator
• 2007-08 | Bartram Trail (Fla.) High School – Quarterbacks
• 2009-10 | Cleveland Browns - Quarterbacks
• 2011-17 | Seattle Seahawks - Quarterbacks
• 2018 | Seattle Seahawks – Associate Head Coach
• 2019 | Houston Texans - Quarterbacks
• 2020 | Houston Texans – Offensive Consultant
• 2021-23 | Seattle Seahawks – Associate Head Coach
• 2026-Pres. | Carolina Panthers – Senior Offensive Consultant