Latest On Steve Wilks
Add the Cardinals to the list of teams looking to get a crack at Panthers DC Steve Wilks, who is arguably this offseason’s hottest head coaching candidate. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Wilks — who is coaching Carolina’s defense in its playoff tilt against the Saints this afternoon — will spend the coming week trying to fit in interviews with Arizona, the Giants, the Lions, and the Colts (Twitter link).
The Cardinals have already interviewed a few candidates for their head coaching gig, including their own DC, James Bettcher, and Patriots’ DC Matt Patricia. But they plan to at least sit down with Wilks to see what the hype is all about.
As Rapoport notes in a brief segment with colleague Mike Garafolo (video link), all four of the above-referenced teams are waiting to hire a new head coach until they have had the chance to meet with Wilks (which is interesting, because we heard just yesterday that the Lions are expected to hire Patricia). Rapoport adds that, despite the fact that the Panthers have fielded an impressive defensive unit this season, it is Wilks’ leadership ability, even more so than his prowess as a defensive coordinator, that has him in such high demand.
Garafalo notes that new Giants GM Dave Gettleman is anxious to get Wilks in front of team ownership, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Wilks will interview with Big Blue on Monday. How many interviews he takes beyond that will depend on the outcome of today’s playoff matchup.
The Bears also requested to interview Wilks, but as of yet, there has been no word as to whether Wilks will meet with Chicago.
Latest On Giants’ Coaching Search
Once thought to be the Giants’ No. 1 candidate, Jim Schwartz looks like he will be a bit behind in Big Blue’s search.
The Eagles’ DC received an interview request, but the sides have yet to schedule said summit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). If nothing transpires by Sunday, the Giants will have to wait until the Eagles are eliminated to meet with Schwartz. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter) the Giants don’t have a Sunday interview scheduled; he labels Schwartz as being on the back-burner.
While waiting hasn’t been a deal-breaker for some teams in the past, the Giants and Schwartz — attached in rumors for weeks — not conducting an interview before he prepares for Philadelphia’s divisional-round game could cause the team to pivot away from the former Lions boss. The Eagles are not a highly regarded No. 1 seed presently, but in a hotly contested coaching market that’s seen three Giants interviewees also take meetings elsewhere, the team could opt to move forward with other candidates to stave off competitors. Schwartz has met with the Cardinals about their HC vacancy.
Big Blue has already met with Steve Spagnuolo, Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia and Pat Shurmur, whom Raanan notes (on Twitter) interviewed Saturday. The Giants still plan to meet with both Eric Studesville and Steve Wilks early next week, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets. The Carolina DC would be eligible to meet with New York’s representatives after the Panthers-Saints game, whether his team wins or loses.
Dave Gettleman, John Mara and assistant GM Kevin Abrams are meeting with the HC candidates, per Vacchiano (on Twitter), who adds co-owner Steve Tisch will meet with candidates as the team moves closer to a final decision.
Bears Request To Interview Panthers DC Steve Wilks
The Bears have requested permission to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks for their head coaching vacancy, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Wilks, 48, has quickly emerged as one of the top head coaching candidates around the league despite offering just one year of coordinating experience. In his first season as Sean McDermott‘s replacement in Carolina, Wilks lead the Panthers to a No. 7 rating in defensive DVOA, while his unit also finished seventh in yards and 11th in scoring. That performance has to led to several other interview requests, as the Colts, Giants, and Lions have all sought to meet with Wilks.
The Bears have cast a wide net after firing head coach John Fox earlier this week, as Wilks will join Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as candidates for the Chicago job. Whomever lands the Bears head coaching gig will presumably ink a four-year contract in order to line up with general manager Ryan Pace, who was recently extended through the 2021 campaign.
Colts, Giants, Lions Request Interviews With Panthers DC Steve Wilks
A Panthers defensive assistant for the past six seasons, Steve Wilks could have a chance to interview with three teams for HC vacancies soon. The Colts, Giants and Lions have requested permission to meet with the first-year Carolina DC, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
Wilks cannot interview this week due to the Panthers’ wild-card assignment, but the 48-year-old coach could factor into the interview process soon after. The longtime assistant confirmed he’s received requests from each of these teams, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer notes.
The Rams interviewed Wilks last year, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link) that powwow went well. This, and the leadership skills that have circulated about the first-time DC, have generated interest in Wilks, Rapoport notes.
Taking over for Sean McDermott this season, Wilks has the Panthers entering the playoffs as the league’s No. 7 defense and one that is No. 3 in rushing deterrence.
Giants To Interview Jim Schwartz
The Giants plan to interview Jim Schwartz for their head coaching vacancy within the next week, according to ESPN’S Adam Schefter. Schefter’s sources indicate that Schwartz will be a favorite — if not the favorite — for the position.
Schwartz, who is currently in his second season as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, previously served as the Lions’ head coach from 2009-13. His tenure in Detroit was largely disappointing, as he compiled a 29-51 regular season mark in the Motor City and took his team to the playoffs just once in five years, losing his only postseason game.
Nonetheless, he has long been regarded as one of the league’s best defensive minds, having worked as the Titans’ defensive coordinator from 2001-08, and he was immediately tabbed as the Bills’ defensive coordinator following his ouster from Detroit. He has helped turn the Eagles into one of the league’s powerhouses, and in so doing, he has restored his viability as a head coach.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, echoing previous reports, indicates that new Giants GM Dave Gettleman is partial to current Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, whom Gettleman knows well from his time in Carolina. Nonetheless, Giants ownership prefers a candidate with previous head coaching experience, which could give Schwartz a leg up. La Canfora also names Steelers’ offensive line coach (and former Titans head coach) Mike Munchak as a dark-horse candidate for Big Blue’s head coaching gig.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, in addition to providing a list of candidates the Giants planned to interview for their GM position had they not hired Gettleman, also confirms that New York will be focusing on veteran head coaching candidates (Twitter link).
Should Schwartz leave Philadelphia, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com tweets that Eagles DB coach Cory Undlin would be a logical in-house candidate to replace him.
NFL Recommends Coaching Candidates
Each year, the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel releases a list of candidates for head coaching jobs. According to Mike Lombardi of The Ringer (Twitter link), that list includes: 
- Dan Campbell (Assistant Head Coach/TE coach, Saints)
- Jim Bob Cooter (Offensive Coordinator, Lions)
- John DeFilippo (Quarterbacks Coach, Eagles)
- George Edwards (Defensive Coordinator, Vikings)
- Josh McDaniels (Offensive Coordinator, Patriots)
- Matt Nagy (Offensive Coordinator, Chiefs)
- Matt Patricia (Defensive Coordinator, Patriots)
- Jim Schwartz (Defensive Coordinator, Eagles)
- Pat Shurmur (Offensive Coordinator, Vikings)
- Dave Toub (Special Teams Coach, Chiefs)
- Steve Wilks (Defensive Coordinator, Panthers)
- Mike Vrabel (Defensive Coordinator, Texans)
McDaniels, of course, comes with previous head coaching experience. He was probably too young to handle those responsibilities in Denver, but he has reasserted himself as an offensive wunderkind. Both McDaniels and Patricia will be hot candidates for head coaching jobs this year, so the Patriots may have to make serious changes on the coaching staff.
There is some overlap with the list of minority candidates recommended by the Fritz Pollard Alliance, though Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie did not make the cut on this list. Austin received head coaching interviews in each of the last two offseasons, so he seems likely to garner some consideration this time around.
Dave Gettleman Is Giants’ Top Choice For GM
We have heard over the past several days that former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is emerging as a frontrunner for the Giants’ newly-available GM job, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that Gettleman is currently the team’s first choice to permanently replace longtime decision-maker Jerry Reese. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears the same thing, and he says it would be an upset if someone other than Gettleman got the job.
As Rapoport observes, Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch almost always hire individuals with ties to the organization, and Gettleman served as the Pro Personnel Director and the Senior Pro Personnel Analyst with Big Blue before he was hired by Carolina in 2013.
Gettleman was able to get the Panthers out of salary-cap hell and lead the team to the playoffs in each of his first three years in Carolina, including an appearance in Super Bowl 50. Carolina finished 6-10 last season but is back in the playoff hunt in 2017 with a roster largely constructed by Gettleman, which is why his ouster in July was so jarring and why it is no surprise to see him back in the GM conversation so quickly. Rapoport notes that Gettleman has stayed in touch with friend and confidant Ernie Accorsi, who is serving as the Giants’ consultant for their search.
New York, though, does plan to give interim GM Kevin Abrams a legitimate chance to win the job. Rapoport and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com report that the Giants also planned to interview former Chiefs GM John Dorsey before the Browns swooped in and hired him (which is perhaps why Cleveland acted as swiftly as it did).
The Giants want to hire a GM before hiring a head coach. If the team hires Gettleman, current Panthers DC Steve Wilks will get serious consideration for New York’s head coaching job, although the desirability of that position will draw a host of top-tier candidates.
Pollard Alliance Releases HC, GM Candidates
The Fritz Pollard Alliance met with the NFL this week and submitted names of suggested GM and head coaching candidates. The list, which is distributed to teams each year, recommends minority candidates for openings around the league. 
This year’s candidates for GM jobs are Joey Clinkscales (Raiders), Alonzo Highsmith (Packers), Ray Farmer (Rams consultant), Will McClay (Cowboys), and Doug Williams (Redskins), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The head coaching candidates are Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Vikings DC George Edwards, Panthers DC Steve Wilks, and Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Farmer has ten years of front office experience under his belt, including two as the Browns’ GM. The team went 10-22 under his watch, so wouldn’t necessarily be an exciting choice for a team this offseason. The other four suggested candidates would be first-time GMs, if hired.
Austin has been considered a bonafide head coaching candidate for some time, but he has been left in a holding pattern. In the 2016 offseason, Austin opined that two of his four interviews were done solely to satisfy the Rooney Rule. This past year, he interviewed with the Rams and Chargers.
Absent from the list is former Bills GM Doug Whaley, who received a potentially bogus interview with the Browns this week.
Panthers To Name Steve Wilks D-Coordinator
With Sean McDermott having departed Carolina to become Buffalo’s head coach on Wednesday, the Panthers are now without a defensive coordinator. That won’t the case for long, per the Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person, who reports that assistant head coach/secondary coach Steve Wilks could take over for McDermott as early as Thursday.
Wilks is also in the running for the Rams’ head coaching job, but he’s clearly a long shot for that position. Thus, it appears he’ll accept a promotion in Carolina, which would keep him and head coach Ron Rivera together for at least another year.
Before joining Rivera’s staff with the Panthers in 2012, Wilks worked with him in Chicago and San Diego. The two had a years-long understanding that Wilks would become the Panthers’ defensive coordinator in the event of a McDermott departure, sources told Person, and Rivera is now set to make good on that promise.
Handing the 47-year-old Wilks the defensive reins means the Panthers will essentially keep McDermott’s system in place, notes Person. The club’s defense had its fair share of success in six years under McDermott, and while the unit finished just 21st in yardage and 26th in scoring in 2016, it did post an impressive 10th-place DVOA ranking.
Panthers Eyeing Steve Wilks As DC
It’s looking more and more likely that Sean McDermott will wind up elsewhere. Building off of momentum from the previous coaching cycle, McDermott now finds himself in the mix for three jobs and the Bills could finalize a deal with him today. If McDermott goes, the Panthers will likely ask secondary coach Steve Wilks to serve as their defensive coordinator, ESPN.com’s David Newton tweets.
[RELATED: Bills, Sean McDermott Closing In On Deal?]
It’s not guaranteed that Wilks will be available, however. He has already has interviewed for the Rams’ head coaching position and he has been asked to interview for the Redskins’ DC job. With that said, it would be surprising if the Rams hired the defensive backs coach for their top job and the Panthers aren’t likely to let Wilks skip town for someone else’s DC vacancy.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says he wants to keep as much of his coaching staff in place as possible.