Peter Hansen enters his fourth season as the inside linebackers coach with Carolina and first with the added title of assistant defensive coordinator.
Under Hansen's lead (2025), linebacker Christian Rozeboom led the team in tackles and was only one of seven players in the NFL with 120+ tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Second-year linebacker Trevin Wallace totaled 61 tackles in 12 games and set career highs in tackles for loss (five) and passes defensed (four).
In 2024, after reuniting with Josey Jewell from their time in Denver, the linebacker thrived under Hansen's coaching, recording the then fifth-most tackles by a player in their first season with the Panthers (97). Despite appearing in just 12 games, Jewell set career-highs in sacks (3.5) and passes defensed (seven) and tied his career-high with seven tackles for loss. Before being placed on injured reserve following Week 14, rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace ranked fourth in total tackles among rookies (63), despite only starting in eight games. He finished the season tied with Jon Beason for fifth in franchise history in total tackles through a player's first eight starts (58). Wallace made his first start in Week 5 against Chicago and joined Luke Kuechly as the only Panthers rookie to record 15+ tackles in a game in franchise history.
In his first year in Carolina (2023), Hansen helped guide sixth-year linebacker Frankie Luvu to a career-high and team-leading 125 tackles, while also receiving his first-career NFC Defensive Player of the Week nod in Week 8. Luvu became the only player in franchise history to record 125+ tackles, 5.5+ sacks and 10+ tackles for loss in a season.
With Denver (2022), Hansen's linebacking corps contributed to one of the NFL's top defenses as the Broncos ranked among the league leaders in a number of categories, including total defense (seventh – 320.0 yards per game), rushing defense (10th – 109.8), opponent third-down conversion percentage (second – 34.1%), opponent redzone touchdown rate (seventh – 51.1%) and defensive three-and-out percentage (fourth – 37.9). Linebackers Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell both established career highs in tackles and were one of three duos in the league to record at least 120 tackles and six tackles for loss that season.
At the collegiate level, Hansen served as UNLV's defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach (2020-21), and held several positions at Stanford University (2008-10, 2014-19). He worked as a strength & conditioning coach (2008), defensive assistant (2009-10) and inside linebackers coach (2014-19) for the Cardinal.
During his second stint with Stanford (2014-19), the team accumulated a 52-27 regular-season record and amassed five eight-win seasons. Stanford went to a bowl game in each of Hansen's first five seasons, winning four of the five contests. Hansen was an integral part of a defensive coaching staff that helped Stanford produce a top three Pac-12 scoring defense each year from 2014-17. The team also finished in the top three in yards per game in 2014 (first – 287.4) and 2015 (third – 374.5).
Two of Hansen's standouts at Stanford, Blake Martinez (Green Bay, 2016) and Bobby Okereke (Indianapolis, 2019) were selected in the NFL Draft. Martinez led the Pac-12 in tackles (2015), while Okereke led the school in tackles in consecutive seasons (2017-18).
With San Francisco (2011-13), Hansen spent three seasons as a defensive assistant/quality control coach (2011-13), as the 49ers collected a 36-11-1 regular season record and advanced to three consecutive NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance.
An assistant coach at his alma mater, Palo Alto (Calif.) High School, for four seasons (2004-07) prior to his first stint at Stanford, Hansen worked primarily with the tight ends and defensive ends. After his first two seasons on staff, Hansen was promoted to defensive coordinator.
A two-sport athlete at the University of Arizona, Hansen played football and basketball for the Wildcats and earned second-team All-Pac 10 honors (2000) as a special teams performer in football.
A Palo Alto, Calif. native, Hansen and his wife, Stephanie, have three daughters, Georgia, Halle and Brooklyn, and a son, Isaiah.
- 2008 | Stanford - Strength & Conditioning
- 2009-10 | Stanford - Defensive Assistant
- 2011-13 | San Francisco 49ers - Defensive Assistant/Quality Control
- 2014-19 | Stanford - Inside Linebackers
- 2020-21 | UNLV - Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
- 2022 | Denver Broncos - Linebackers
- 2023-25 | Carolina Panthers - Linebackers
- 2026-Pres. | Carolina Panthers – Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
