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Sam Mills III faces the tough task of replacing Jim Tomsula in Washington

By Jacob Camenker

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Head coach Sam Mills III of the Carolina Panthers on the East Team gets interviewed after a 21-17 win over the West Team at the 2019 East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field on January 19, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Head coach Sam Mills III of the Carolina Panthers on the East Team gets interviewed after a 21-17 win over the West Team at the 2019 East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field on January 19, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – CIRCA 2011: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Sam Mills III of the Carolina Panthers poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – CIRCA 2011: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Sam Mills III of the Carolina Panthers poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images) /

Mills’ work as an assistant D-Line coach

From 2011 to 2017, Mills served as the Panthers’ assistant defensive line coach. He was in that spot largely thanks to the talent that the Panthers had on their defensive coaching staff under Ron Rivera.

Rivera’s staff included Sean McDermott, Steve Wilks, and Eric Washington. McDermott is now one of the better young head coaches in the NFL while Wilks is a well-respected defensive coordinator who had a forgettable one-year stint in charge of the Arizona Cardinals. As for Washington, he spent the 2019 season as Rivera’s defensive coordinator and since has joined McDermott’s staff with the Buffalo Bills.

So, because Mills was buried on the staff, he had to play a bit of the waiting game. That said, he was fortunate to have a chance to work alongside these immense talents and learn from them. He was Washington’s assistant for all seven of his seasons as an assistant D-Line coach, and the two worked well together.

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Notably, Washington and Mills were able to do excellent work with the team’s defensive line starting in 2013. An infusion of young talent via the selections of Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the NFL Draft gave the team two new weapons up front while the coaches proved adequate at developing unheralded players. Wes Horton and former Redskins practice squader Mario Addison emerged as nice complementary pieces and gave the unit good depth and production.

Because of the success Washington and Mills had developing these players, the Panthers were able to reach Super Bowl 50 with a rock-solid defense. It also helped that they milked two very good seasons out of Kony Ealy and nearly turned him into a Super Bowl MVP before his star lost its shine.

In addition to those successes, the duo developed Greg Hardy into a great sack artist before self-inflicted off-the-field issues derailed his career. And starting in 2017, they were able to work with Efe Obada and turn him into a solid rotational player. Obada was the first member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program to make a 53-man roster.

But Mills’ time as an assistant wasn’t perfect. He and Washington couldn’t get anything out of 2011 draft picks Terrell McClain and Sione Fua when they first took over as the defensive line coaches. They ended up being busts as a result. The same can be said of 2017 third-round pick Daeshon Hall, who was cut after just one season with the team.

Still, for the most part, Mills was able to help develop young players. And when given a chance to coach the unit on his own, he certainly didn’t flounder albeit in limited experience.

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