The Panthers have announced the coaching staff for the 2024 season as the franchise looks to defend the IFL National Championship.
"I am pleased to announce the 2024 Bay Area Panthers coaching staff. Not only have we retained our staff from last year, but we've added value to our already knowledgeable and professional group," said Head Coach Rob Keefe.
Keefe begins his second year on the Bay Area staff and first as Head Coach following the franchise's championship season. Bay Area claimed the IFL National Championship with 51-41 win over Sioux Falls in Henderson, Nev.
In 2023 under Keefe, the Panthers finished fourth in scoring defense and fourth in sacks. The Panthers did not allow 50 points over the final seven games and closed with five straight wins to finish 13-5 after going 1-15 in 2022.
Dixie Wooten will be the team's offensive coordinator for the second straight season. In 2023, Bay Area was transformed from the bottom of every offensive category to third in the IFL at 52.3 points per game. Led by running back Justin Rankin, the Panthers finished third in the league in rushing on the way to the IFL Championship
Wooten spent the previous two years as the head coach and general manager of the Tucson Sugarskulls, reaching the playoffs in 2022 after finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference.
Wooten is a two-time IFL Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2017 and 2018 with the Iowa Barnstormers. In 2018, under Wooten, the Barnstormers captured the United Bowl with a victory over the Sioux Falls Storm for the first league title in franchise history.
Wooten's son, Dixie Wooten III is in his second season on the Bay Area staff as offensive line coach. Under Wooten's guidance, the Panthers finished third in rushing offense. Justin Rankin led the league in carries (212), finished second in rushing yards (923) and led the league with 45 touchdowns. Offensive lineman Amari Catchings was named to the IFL All-Rookie team and made Second-Team All-IFL.
On the other side of the ball, Jubenal Rodriguez is in his second year on the Panthers' staff as linebackers coach and defensive analyst. The 2023 season was his first official year in the IFL after serving as a coaching intern for the team in 2022.
Rodriguez spent two years as the Head Coach at Sobrato High through 2021. Before leading his alma mater, he led Monte Vista Christian to consecutive postseason trips, capped by a division title in 2019. In 2017, Rodriguez coached Gilroy to a 13-0 season and a section championship. For the historic season, he was nominated as one of only 32 coaches in the nation for the NFL High School Coach of the Year.
Chuck Miller joins the staff for his first season with the Panthers to coach the team's defensive linemen.
Miller has extensive IFL experience, serving as assistant head coach and worked with the offensive linemen with Tucson Sugar Skulls in the abbreviated 2020 season.
In 2019, Miller was the Defensive Coordinator of the reigning IFL champion Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa led the league with 22 interceptions, recorded 14 sacks while allowing only 37.3 points per game.
The prior two years, Miller was the Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator with the Green Bay Blizzard during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Both seasons, the Blizzard finished in the top five in rushing and allowed the fewest sacks two years in a row.
"We are excited to work with this year's talented roster," said Keefe. "And we are more than ready for the challenge of earning another championship for the Bay Area.
