Temple University Athletics
Football
Panagos, Jim
Jim Panagos
- Title:
- Defensive Line
- Email:
- jim.panagos@temple.edu
- Phone:
- 215-204-4694
Jim Panagos entered his first season at Temple University in 2017 as the defensive line coach under head coach Geoff Collins. He was promoted to assistant head coach-defense and added the title of run game coordinator in February, 2018.
Panagos inherited a unit that lost Haason Reddick to the Arizona Cardinals with the 13th overall selection, along with two others, Avery Ellis and Praise Martin-Oguike, who went on to the professional level. He took the remaining parts and created an 11-man rotation that helped the Owls to 32 sacks and 92 tackles for loss. In back-to-back weeks, the defense held Army and Navy, at the time the #2 and #1 rushing units, respectively, to nearly half of their average rushing yards.
His leadership helped two seniors, Sharif Finch (55 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Jacob Martin (44 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 8.0 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR), to their best seasons, earning Panagos a nomination for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach.
Prior to joining Temple, Panagos gained over 10 years of experience in coaching defensive lines, first serving at UCF for five years (2007-2011) and then Rutgers for four years (2012-2015), and one year at Pittsburgh (2016).
At Rutgers in 2012, Panagos made an immediate impact on the Scarlet Knights as the defensive unit finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (14.15 points allowed/game) and 10th in total defense. The defensive line played a huge part in the scheme by cumulating 7.3 tackles-for-loss (16th ranked in the country) and holding opponents to 97.2 rushing yards per game (sixth). He also tutored DT Scott Vallone, who had a career-high 52 tackles and first-team All-Big East honors.
Then in 2014, Panagos steered DT Darius Hamilton and DE Kemoko Turay to all-conference honors during the Knights transition from the Big East to the Big Ten. Hamilton led the defense with 11.5 tackles-for-loss, including a career-best six sacks. Turay picked up a team-high 7.5 sacks, ranking eighth among Big Ten players.
Prior to Rutgers, he spent five years with the UCF. There he helped the program to three bowl appearances, including a 10-6 victory over Georgia in the 2010 Liberty Bowl where the Knights were ranked 24th in the country. His front four created havoc for QB Aaron Murray, forcing him into two interceptions, to go along with three sacks.
In his first season, the defense recorded 39 sacks (15th in the country). During the 2009 season, the defense erupted for 38 sacks (7th in the country), held opposing offenses to 82.5 rushing YPG (3rd in the nation) and finished 11th in the nation in TFLs.
FootballScoop.com named Panagos its National Defensive Line Coach of the Year in 2009. Bruce Miller (13) and Jarvis Geathers (11) both hit double-digits in sacks while tackle Torell Troup was a second round selection in the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Miller earned conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009 and again in 2010. Miller would eventually be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers after leading the Knights in TFLs and sacks in three seasons under Panagos guidance (2008-10).
In 2011, the Knights defensive unit ranked 4th in the country behind just Florida State, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Before hitting the Division I football landscape, Panagos spent four seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. First as an offensive and defensive quality control assistant from 2002-03 before earning the role of assistant defensive line and special team coach during the 2004-05 season.
The Brooklyn native played defensive line at the University of Maryland and became a two-year letterman where he led the Terrapins with five sacks and 12 TFLs in his final season. There he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1993.
He remained at his alma mater for a year as a defensive assistant and eventually left to assume an assistant coaching job at C.R. James Alternative School in Tampa, Fla, where he also taught mathematics.
Panagos and his wife Maureen have three kids: Jack, Hayden, and Olivia.
Panagos inherited a unit that lost Haason Reddick to the Arizona Cardinals with the 13th overall selection, along with two others, Avery Ellis and Praise Martin-Oguike, who went on to the professional level. He took the remaining parts and created an 11-man rotation that helped the Owls to 32 sacks and 92 tackles for loss. In back-to-back weeks, the defense held Army and Navy, at the time the #2 and #1 rushing units, respectively, to nearly half of their average rushing yards.
His leadership helped two seniors, Sharif Finch (55 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR) and Jacob Martin (44 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 8.0 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR), to their best seasons, earning Panagos a nomination for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach.
Prior to joining Temple, Panagos gained over 10 years of experience in coaching defensive lines, first serving at UCF for five years (2007-2011) and then Rutgers for four years (2012-2015), and one year at Pittsburgh (2016).
At Rutgers in 2012, Panagos made an immediate impact on the Scarlet Knights as the defensive unit finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense (14.15 points allowed/game) and 10th in total defense. The defensive line played a huge part in the scheme by cumulating 7.3 tackles-for-loss (16th ranked in the country) and holding opponents to 97.2 rushing yards per game (sixth). He also tutored DT Scott Vallone, who had a career-high 52 tackles and first-team All-Big East honors.
Then in 2014, Panagos steered DT Darius Hamilton and DE Kemoko Turay to all-conference honors during the Knights transition from the Big East to the Big Ten. Hamilton led the defense with 11.5 tackles-for-loss, including a career-best six sacks. Turay picked up a team-high 7.5 sacks, ranking eighth among Big Ten players.
Prior to Rutgers, he spent five years with the UCF. There he helped the program to three bowl appearances, including a 10-6 victory over Georgia in the 2010 Liberty Bowl where the Knights were ranked 24th in the country. His front four created havoc for QB Aaron Murray, forcing him into two interceptions, to go along with three sacks.
In his first season, the defense recorded 39 sacks (15th in the country). During the 2009 season, the defense erupted for 38 sacks (7th in the country), held opposing offenses to 82.5 rushing YPG (3rd in the nation) and finished 11th in the nation in TFLs.
FootballScoop.com named Panagos its National Defensive Line Coach of the Year in 2009. Bruce Miller (13) and Jarvis Geathers (11) both hit double-digits in sacks while tackle Torell Troup was a second round selection in the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Miller earned conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009 and again in 2010. Miller would eventually be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers after leading the Knights in TFLs and sacks in three seasons under Panagos guidance (2008-10).
In 2011, the Knights defensive unit ranked 4th in the country behind just Florida State, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Before hitting the Division I football landscape, Panagos spent four seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. First as an offensive and defensive quality control assistant from 2002-03 before earning the role of assistant defensive line and special team coach during the 2004-05 season.
The Brooklyn native played defensive line at the University of Maryland and became a two-year letterman where he led the Terrapins with five sacks and 12 TFLs in his final season. There he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1993.
He remained at his alma mater for a year as a defensive assistant and eventually left to assume an assistant coaching job at C.R. James Alternative School in Tampa, Fla, where he also taught mathematics.
Panagos and his wife Maureen have three kids: Jack, Hayden, and Olivia.
Ep. 4: Temple Athletics Weekly Recap; Men's Soccer Captain Lukas Egarter
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Monday, September 15
JoJo Bermudez, 9/15/25
Monday, September 15
K.C. Keeler, 9/15/25
Monday, September 15
