Jim Caldwell
Coaching Record
| Years Coached | Record | Win % | Playoff record | Playoff win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 176-113-0 | 60.90% | 13-11 | 54.17% |
Coaching Tree
Parents:
Children:
Biography
Career Summary
Jim Caldwell is a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and has been the senior assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers since 2023. Prior to this season, he coached for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Detroit Lions for seventeen seasons. His most recent position was with the Lions as their head coach. During his career he was a head coach for seven seasons, first with the Indianapolis Colts. He led the Colts for three seasons, compiling a record of 26-22-0. He was fired from the Colts on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. His next head coaching stint was with the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017, as he led the team to a 36-28-0 record. He was fired from the Lions on Monday, January 1, 2018. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 62-50-0 across seven seasons including going 2-4-0 in the playoffs. Caldwell will return as the senior assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers for the 2024 season.
Career Awards
During the 2009 season as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts he coached Peyton Manning to the Most Valuable Player.
Jim Caldwell Coaching Tree
Before he was a head coach, Caldwell served as an assistant coach for Tony Dungy, John Harbaugh, and Frank Reich. Eight of these years were spent on Dungy's coaching staff. One assistant coach from his coaching staffs, Frank Reich, was eventually hired as a head coach. He is the current head coach of the Carolina Panthers. After coaching with Jim Caldwell he has posted a 41-43-1 record during the regular season and 1-2 in the playoffs as head coach.
Personal Information
Caldwell was born on Sunday, January 16, 1955.
Playing Career
University of Iowa
From 1973 through 1976, Jim Caldwell was a defensive back for the Iowa Hawkeyes. His very first year with them, the team would go 0-11 – losing every game of their season for the first time in team history. The 1974 and 1975 seasons saw little improvement, pulling a 3-8 record for both and finally showing real improvement in 1976 with a record of 5-6. After his playing career ended, he continued his football career through coaching.
Coaching Career
College Coaching
University of Iowa
In 1977 he was hired as a graduate assistant for the Iowa Hawkeyes – his first coaching job. He only remained for the single season before being hired on full time in Illinois.
Southern Illinois University
Caldwell got his first full time coaching job in 1978 for the Southern Illinois Salukis as their new defensive backs coach. In 1980 he was further promoted to defensive coordinator and get to call his own defense for the first time in his career. His last season with the team was in 1980.
Northwestern University
In 1981 he was hired on as the defensive backs coach for the Northwestern Wildcats for a single season. The team would end the season with a 0-11 record, their second time in a row losing every game of the season.
University of Colorado
Caldwell was hired as the new outside linebackers coach for the Colorado Buffaloes in 1982. The three seasons he was with the team they had a losing record for each one, 2-8-1, 4-7 and 1-10 respectively. In 1984, he would hold his first formal position on the offensive side of the ball when he would switch to quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.
University of Louisville
He was hired onto the Louisville Cardinals coaching staff in 1985, where he would return to the defensive side of the team as the defensive backs coach. The team would end the season with a 2-9 losing record, continuing Caldwell’s personal losing streak of six seasons. Caldwell's defensive years would come to an end with his tenure at Louisville as he would move permanently to the offensive coaching staff.
Penn State University
He was hired onto the Penn State Nittany Lions staff as the wide receivers coach in 1986, and added the quarterbacks coach title as well in 1987. In 1991 he was switched to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator where he would finish out the remaining two seasons with the team. His very first season with the team would end his losing spree, finishing out the season with a perfect 12-0 record for the first time in 13 years – and winning the National Championship. The remainder of his time with the school would only see a single losing record in 1988 with 5-6.
Under Caldwell’s tutelage, quarterback Kerry Collins - while working at Penn State, would win the Maxwell Award as the nation's most outstanding player and the Davey O'Brien Award for being the nation's top college quarterback. Caldwell would remain with the school up through the 1992 season until he was offered his first chance at running his own team.
Wake Forest University
In 1993 he was hired on for his first head coaching job for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He became the first African American Head Coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference. During his eight seasons with the team they would only see a single winning record in 1999, where they would end it with 7-5 and a win in the Aloha Bowl. He was fired at the conclusion of the 2000 season.
NFL Coaching Career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Caldwell got his first chance at coaching in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001, where he was hired on to be their quarterbacks coach. The team would finish it out with a 9-7 record and losing the Wildcard match of the playoffs to the Eagles 31-9. In his lone season with the team, quarterback Brad Johnson would set the Buccaneer's record for completions in a season (since broken).
Indianapolis Colts
He was hired to be the new quarterbacks coach in 2002 for the Indianapolis Colts. He would add assistant head coach to his list of responsibilities in the 2005 season, and be promoted to head coach in 2009. The team would have a nine season long stint of making it to the playoffs from 2002 through the 2010 season. In 2006 Caldwell would add his first Super Bowl win under his coaching belt as the team beat out the Chicago Bears, 29-17. In 2009 they made it to the Super Bowl for a second time while he was on staff, but lost to the New Orleans Saints 31-17. In 2010 he led the team to their second consecutive AFC South Division title with a record of 10-6. In 2011 he would have the worst season in his career with the Colts, ending the season out with a 2-14 record, breaking the playoff streak.
Out of the ten seasons he was with the team, they ranked in the Top 10 in total offense eight times, six of those times being in the Top 5. He was also the fifth rookie head coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl and set the record for best start by a rookie coach. He was fired from the Colts after the conclusion of the 2011 season after producing the franchises worst record in 20 years.
Baltimore Ravens
In 2012 he was hired by the Baltimore Ravens to be their new quarterbacks coach and ended up adding interim offensive coordinator mid-season when the previous offensive coordinator was fired. The team finished first in the AFC North Division his first season coaching with them and won the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31. He took over the offensive coordinator spot entirely in 2013.
Detroit Lions
He was hired on for his second head coaching position in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 2014 where he continues to remain. The team finished out the season at 11-5, losing in the Wildcard match of the playoffs to the Cowboys. Teryl Austin, who worked with Caldwell at Penn State, Wake Forrest, and Baltimore was brought to the Lions as well as their new defensive coordinator, marking the fourth time the two would work together.
History
| Year | Position | Record | Playoff record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Carolina Panthers | Senior Assistant Coach | 2-15-0 | 0-0 |
| 2017 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-0 |
| 2016 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-1 |
| 2015 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 2014 Detroit Lions | Head Coach | 11-5-0 | 0-1 |
| 2013 Baltimore Ravens | Offensive Coordinator | 8-8-0 | 0-0 |
| 2012 Baltimore Ravens | Quarterbacks Coach | 9-4-0 | 0-0 |
| 2012 Baltimore Ravens | Interim Offensive Coordinator | 1-2-0 | 4-0 |
| 2011 Indianapolis Colts | Head Coach | 2-14-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 Indianapolis Colts | Head Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 2009 Indianapolis Colts | Head Coach | 14-2-0 | 2-1 |
| 2008 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 12-4-0 | 0-1 |
| 2007 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 13-3-0 | 0-1 |
| 2006 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 12-4-0 | 4-0 |
| 2005 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 14-2-0 | 0-1 |
| 2004 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 12-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 2003 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 12-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 2002 Indianapolis Colts | Quarterbacks Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Quarterbacks Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-1 |
| 2000 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 2-9-0 | |
| 1999 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 7-5-0 | |
| 1998 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 3-8-0 | |
| 1997 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 5-6-0 | |
| 1996 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 3-8-0 | |
| 1995 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 1-10-0 | |
| 1994 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 3-8-0 | |
| 1993 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Head Coach | 2-9-0 | |
| 1992 Penn State Nittany Lions | Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach | 7-5-0 | |
| 1991 Penn State Nittany Lions | Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach | 11-2-0 | |
| 1990 Penn State Nittany Lions | Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach | 9-3-0 | |
| 1989 Penn State Nittany Lions | Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach | 8-3-1 | |
| 1988 Penn State Nittany Lions | Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach | 5-6-0 | |
| 1987 Penn State Nittany Lions | Quarterbacks Coach | 8-4-0 | |
| 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions | Wide Receivers Coach | 12-0-0 | |
| 1985 Louisville Cardinals | Defensive Backs Coach | 2-9-0 | |
| 1984 Colorado Buffaloes | Quarterbacks Coach / Wide Receivers Coach | 1-10-0 | |
| 1983 Colorado Buffaloes | Outside Linebackers Coach | 4-7-0 | |
| 1982 Colorado Buffaloes | Outside Linebackers Coach | 2-8-1 | |
| 1981 Northwestern Wildcats | Defensive Backs Coach | 0-11-0 | |
| 1980 Southern Illinois Salukis | Defensive Coordinator | 3-8-0 | |
| 1979 Southern Illinois Salukis | Defensive Backs Coach | 8-3-0 | |
| 1978 Southern Illinois Salukis | Defensive Backs Coach | 7-4-0 | |
| 1977 Iowa Hawkeyes | Graduate Assistant | 4-7-0 |
Coach history guide
| Seasons with a championship win | Seasons with a conference championship |
Coach facts
- Years as head coach: 7
- Years as a coordinator: 1
- Championships won: 2006 and 2012
- Conference Championships won: 2006, 2009, and 2012
- Third in winning percentage for the Detroit Lions.
- Fifth in winning percentage for the Indianapolis Colts.
- Past teams coached for: Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- College Attended: Iowa Hawkeyes
- Position Played: 0
- Date of Birth: Sunday, January 16, 1955 (69 years old)