Daren Bates begins his third season with Carolina as a special teams assistant and first with the added title of inside linebackers assistant. He joined the Panthers in 2024 after beginning his coaching career through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2023, spending the spring with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Seattle Seahawks for the season. Bates, a special teams captain for two different teams, transitioned into coaching after playing nine seasons in the league (2013-21).
During the 2025 season, Bates assisted in the development of undrafted rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who converted 24-of-29 field goal attempts (82.8%), the second-most made field goals by a rookie in team history. Additionally, Fitzgerald tied for the NFL lead with four game-winning field goals, also tied for the most by any rookie since 1970. Punter Sam Martin was one of six punters with at least 25 punts inside the 20-yard line (27) and three-or-fewer touchbacks (three). Five different players recorded at least 10 special teams tackles, each representing a single-season best, including linebacker Thomas Incoom, who led the team with 16 special teamstackles, the most by a Panther since 2012.
In his first season with the Panthers (2024), Bates helped lead a unit that led the NFL in opponent kickoff return average (24.3) and finished tied for fourth in opponent punt return average (6.8). Kicker Eddy Piñeiro became the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, with a career field goal percentage of 88.1% (111-for-126) and finished the season ranked seventh in Panthershistory for all-time points scored (320). Following changes to the league's kickoff rules, running back Raheem Blackshear capitalized on increased kickoff return opportunities and ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return average (25.5), the fifth-highest mark in team history among qualified returners. Linebacker Jon Rhattigan led the team with a career-high 12 special teams tackles (six solo), which was tied for seventh in the NFL and tied for fourth in the NFC. Long-time long snapper J.J. Jansen played in his 260th career game, becoming one of 43 players in NFL history to appear in 260 career games. Punter Johnny Hekker recorded 70 punts, with 24 landing inside the 20-yard line.
Originally signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent (2013), Bates appeared in 125 games for St. Louis (2013-15), Oakland (2016), Tennessee (2017-20) and Atlanta (2021), primarily as a special teams player. He tallied 63 of his 79 career tackles on special teams, which ranked 11th in the league during that time span.
At Auburn University (2009-12), Bates recorded 316 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 5.0sacks. He was named Freshman All-SEC and earned second-team and Freshman All-American honors (2009) before he won the National Championship as a sophomore (2010). A native of Memphis, Tenn., he attended Olive Branch (Tenn.) High School where he was a two-time all-state selection.
Bates is a girl dad and has two daughters – Kamea and Kavea – and one son, Kaeto.
