There’s not much optimism that Steve Wilks will retain the Panthers head coaching gig after this season, but it sounds like the organization will at least give him a chance. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that people around the NFL believe Wilks is a “long shot for the long-term job.”
However, Fowler cautions that the Panthers have held off on the hiring process as they look to give Wilks a legitimate chance to keep the full-time gig. Meanwhile, Joseph Person of The Athletic writes that owner David Tepper will use the final five games to determine Wilks’ future with the organization.
While sources believe Tepper could be targeting an offensive-minded coach, there’s plenty going for Wilks. Tepper is reportedly a fan of the coach, and Wilks has also won over the locker room in recent weeks. The head coach also told reporters that he’s in “constant communication” with the team’s owner, although the discussions generally revolve around “team-related topics” vs. the coach’s future with the squad.
“We don’t get into the future. I’m not about the future right now. It’s about winning the day,” Wilks said recently (via Person). “As I told you guys from Day 1, I’ve got 13 weeks. And I’m gonna try to do it my way within those 13 weeks and whatever happens at the end, we’ll deal with it.”
Wilks was named interim head coach after the Panthers fired Matt Rhule in early October. The Panthers have gone 3-4 with Wilks at the helm despite uncertainty at the quarterback position and the subtraction of star RB Christian McCaffrey. Wilks was a long-time collegiate coach before getting hired by the Bears in 2006. He had a six-year stint with the Panthers before getting hired as the Cardinals head coach in 2018. Wilks went 3-13 in Arizona before getting canned. He was the defensive coordinator with the Browns and Missouri before re-joining the Panthers as their defensive passing-game coordinator and secondary coach for the 2022 campaign.
Well, good luck Steve!
hes come a long way since Jerry springer
If he has the respect of the players and they’re playing ok (knowing they’re not a very good team), sounds like he could be a good choice.
If your coach isn’t calling plays, it’s really a hire of knowing the game thoroughly from a general perspective and humanistic intangibles with your players and the press.
It seems rather empty to say that, but it’s true. I’m surprised the job is called ‘coach’ and not manager because without the X’s and O’s and prep it’s largely about managing situations that take a unique individual.
Something that Robert Saleh is exceptional at. He should probably get coach of the year.
Wilks isn’t going to get the job, the rate of hiring interim managers is very low unless the guy levitates.
A high-level overview of Steve Wilks head coaching performance.
1) Traded a 15th overall, 3rd round, and 5th round pick to the Raiders to draft QB Josh Rosen at #10 in the 2018 draft.
2) One scoring drive in the first quarter since taking over as the Panters HC this year.
3) Sued the NFL for racial discrimination within its hiring practices.
Always looks good when the owner is “ taking a look at him.” AKA no chance in hell but I am playing politics correctly.
Wills was a GM in Arizona?
I guess that the draft was strictly on the GM Steve Keim and the genius QB Coach rising HC candidate Byron Leftwich had no say. If I recall correctly the organization made these moves due to the Carson Palmer retirement.
I suppose it was also Keim that benched Sam Bradford for Josh Rosen in week 3, then refused to admit that it was too soon of a move.
Yeah, it was on Keim. Wilks didn’t do that. Wilks also didn’t turn around the very next year and tear down all of it after only one season. The other two points may be applicable (although we’ve also seen that the coach does not always really control roster roles, ala Indianapolis), but the first is 100% on Keim.
Keim is a lot luckier than he is smart.
That team’s more of a chaser/grabber when it comes to drafting then it is foundational. They took a QB that fell in their lap as a #1 after ‘oops’ing a whole year on Rosen, took the coach that fell in their lap then signed proven players for most of their remaining roster. …Not a lot of internal guidance.
It’s not an easy job, but guys like Paton, Licht, and even Ballard IMHO have more on the ball on “it” factor.
As for Wilks he’s one of a number of coaches. I don’t know what to say about him. He shows a lot of toughness having coached in Houston and Carolina though. I’ll give him that. If he could get a no QB team like that to .500 you hire him, period.
Tepper’s got QBs that no one else wanted and he’ll be attracting HC candidates that no one else wants too. His tendency to be erratic and impatient will convince the top candidates to interview elsewhere.
Well, let’s look on the bright side. After that Cardinals 3-13 season and this interim coach short season with the Panthers, Wilks’s NFL head coaching record has nowhere to go but up.
Well, I have more respect for a coach that will try to make something out of a no win situation than one (looking at you Mr. Payton) that is only interested if a championship caliber team is dropped in his lap.