The Carolina Panthers announced on Friday that head coach John Fox and his staff will not  return after this season.

Fox, the winningest coach  in team history, has led the Panthers for the past nine years. Fox took over in 2002 and  became Carolina's third head coach. He turned a 1-15 team under George Seifert the year before into a 7-9 club. The following year Fox led the team to an 11-5 record and a trip to Super Bowl XXXVIII. Unfortunately, the Panthers were upended by New England.  The Patriots defeated Carolina 32-29 on Adam Vinatieri's last minute field goal.

He led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in 2005. His best year was in 2008, when the Panthers were 12-4 and won the NFC South, but they lost to Arizona in the second round of the playoffs, which sent the franchise reeling. Carolina was 8-8 last season before the wheels came off this year.
During his nine-year stay, Fox is 78-73. He has led the Panthers to a pair of NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. The Panthers (2-13), who have secured the No.1 pick in the National Football League draft in April, wrap up the season Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.
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