Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers beat out a few other teams for his first major hire as head coach.

The Panthers announced Sunday they have hired Ejiro Evero, the former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator, to run their defense.

Evero had gotten interest as a coordinator and head coach after an impressive 2022 running the Broncos defense. The Minnesota Vikings were supposed to interview him after Evero was let out of his Broncos contract. The Panthers didn't let the Vikings get the chance.

Evero, 42, got his first shot to be an NFL defensive coordinator last season and made a name for himself. The Broncos had a disappointing season but the defense was fantastic. Denver finished seventh in yards allowed. Evero's creative schemes were a big reason.

Before joining the Broncos, Evero was part of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl championship team as the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach.

Evero met with new Broncos coach Sean Payton but Evero was let out of his contract to pursue other jobs. He takes over a defense that was 19th in points allowed and 22nd in yards allowed but has some talented players.

Evero was a hot name in the coaching market the past few weeks. The Panthers hope he's the one to provide a big boost to their defense.