With Matt Rhule fired, here are 14 potential Panthers head coaching candidates
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Matt Rhule fired; what’s next?
The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule on Monday after a 1-4 start. The team named Charlotte native Steve Wilks interim head coach.
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The Carolina Panthers are looking for a new long-term leader, and when the offseason comes around, they should have plenty of options.
On Monday, Rhule was relieved of his duties by owner David Tepper. Rhule went 11-27 in less than three seasons on the job.
While the Panthers have named Steve Wilks as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, the Panthers brass will immediately begin the process of finding a long-term replacement for Rhule.
Luckily for the Panthers, there appears to be several logical replacement candidates for the big job.
Internal Candidate
Steve Wilks
Wilks, a Charlotte native and Appalachian State alum, was previously the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He received just one year on the job, as the Cardinals selected QB Josh Rosen with a first-round pick and faltered out of the gate. Wilks is currently a complainant in a lawsuit against the NFL, which alleges racial discrimination in hiring practices by the league.
Wilks went 3-13 in his only season in Arizona, but has continued to his work in the NFL as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Wilks has helped oversee the secondary and passing-game defense for the Panthers this season. He previously served under former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator.
The long shot
Sean Payton
A return to the NFC South seems unlikely for Payton, who stepped away from coaching the New Orleans Saints following his first season without Drew Brees in January. But for the sake of bringing up the candidates that make the most sense for the Panthers, we’ll add him to the list as a long shot.
Payton, who is considered an offensive wizard, is likely to look for a team with an established quarterback. A project or rebuilding offense probably wouldn’t appeal to the Super Bowl-winning decision-maker. Instead, he is likely to want to take over a squad with an establish voice and talent in the QB room. He is likely to rejoin the league next season, but not likely in Charlotte.
A second chance?
Mike Zimmer
Zimmer went 72-56-1 during his eight-year tenure as the Minnesota Vikings head coach. Fired after last season, Zimmer is out of the NFL, but he could still have interest in a redemption tour of sorts. He was a two-time division winner in the NFC North and led the Vikings to the NFC Conference Championship following the 2017 season.
While he’s known having a grating personality, there’s no doubt he’s worthy of a second chance if he wants it. The key for Zimmer will be finding the right offensive coordinator to partner with. Zimmer’s biggest turnoff is that he’s already 66.
Leslie Frazier
Frazier has overseen the Buffalo Bills’ defense during its special run under head coach Sean McDermott. Frazier, like Zimmer, is a former Minnesota Vikings head coach who is worthy of a second shot. A Super Bowl winner as both a player and an assistant coach, Fraizer went 21-31-1 as a head coach from 2011 to 2013.
While he’s not the sexiest name on the list, there’s no doubt that his five years in Buffalo have boosted his stock tremendously. With the Bills surging, expect Frazier to receive plenty of interest for a second consecutive offseason.
Dan Quinn
Like Frazier and Zimmer, Quinn is a defensive-minded former head coach who is looking his second chance. While there is a strong possibility that Quinn could succeed his current boss, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, Quinn could also look elsewhere.
The Cowboys defensive coordinator previously served as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach from 2015 to 2020, and led the team to a Super Bowl following the 2016 season. Compiling a 43-42 record during his six-year tenure, Quinn has reinvigorated his value as the overseer of the talented Cowboys defense.
Raheem Morris
Why does it feel like defensive-minded head coaches always seem to land on their respective feet as coordinators? Morris hasn’t been a full-time head coach since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired him in 2011. But since then, Morris has thrived in a plethora of assistant roles.
Morris is currently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, and he helped the franchise win a Super Bowl in February during his first year on the job. As the architect of a sensational defense, he could entice Tepper because of his experience, play-calling savvy and still relatively young age of 46.
First-timers club
Jonathan Gannon
Following rough first year in Philadelphia, Gannon has taken advantage of a bunch of new toys on defense this season. The young defensive coordinator drew interest from the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos last season, but both franchises ended up going in other directions.
Gannon is a relatable personality, whose specialty is the secondary. He has coached under the likes of Zimmer, Frank Reich, Matt Eberflus and Nick Sirianni during his career. Like Sirianni, Gannon has a youthful enthusiasm and he is able to connect with players on a human level.
Byron Leftwich
The former NFL quarterback has worked with the likes of Tom Brady, Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger during his coaching career. Just 42, Leftwich is an ascending coaching talent, and he has served a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator.
Leftwich could be an ideal candidate for a Panthers team looking to finally develop a long-term replacement for Cam Newton. The quarterback position was a massive problem under Rhule, so it’d make sense to bring in a QB whisperer on the next go-round.
DeMeco Ryans
Like Leftwich, Ryans has played and coached at the NFL level. Known for his leadership as a linebacker with the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles, Ryans was able to turn to coaching following retirement and he has ascended ever since under San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
An impressive and creative defensive mind, Ryans could continue to build on the unit that Phil Snow has cultivated over the years. Just 38, Ryans can grow with and relate to a young squad.
Kellen Moore
The streak of former NFL players-turned-NFL assistant coaches continues! Moore was a standout quarterback at Boise State and he had a solid journeyman backup career in the NFL. Moore has done a really nice job with the Cowboys’ offense over the past three seasons, especially when Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have been sidelined with injuries.
Like Leftwich, Moore, 34, would be seen as a head coach who could groom as a young quarterback. While he doesn’t have a Sean McVay-like personality or reputation, he could end up being the upcoming offseason’s Kevin O’Connnell.
Shane Steichen
Last season, the Eagles’ offense was struggling during the first half of the campaign. That’s when Sirianni decided to switch things up and give Steichen the offensive play-calling responsibilities. From there, the Eagles became a dominant run-heavy team that pushed toward a playoff berth. In Year 2 of the Sirianni-Steichen offense, the Eagles have flown by opponents with an aerial assault, thanks to the continued growth of Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith and the trade addition of A.J. Brown.
Steichen, 37, might not have the glitz and glamour of a former player or a notable name, but he has shown he can call plays and develop players during his short time as an offensive coordinator.
Mike Kafka
After spending most of his NFL career as a deep-depth backup QB, Kafka joined the Kansas City Chiefs’ staff in 2017 as an offensive quality controal coach. From there, he ascended up the ranks in Kansas City while the Chiefs won a Super Bowl and Patrick Mahomes developed into the top talent at the quarterback position.
Kafka, 35, joined Brian Daboll’s New York Giants’ staff this offseason as the team’s offensive coordinator. And despite a lack of talent and a plethora of injuries, the Giants have overachieved with Kafka steering the offensive ship. He might be a year or two away from a bigger job, but he certainly should be on Tepper’s radar.
Shane Waldron
To say the Seattle Seahawks have overachieved on offense this season would be an understatement. Waldron has turned a Geno Smith-led offense in a relatively capable playmaking department. Waldron has worked under McVay, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick during his coaching career.
At 43, Waldron is primed to find a team that he can call his own. Like several names on this list, his appeal comes from his work on offense, namely with quarterbacks. He could be next the member of the McVay tree to ascend up the coaching ranks.
Ben Johnson
Johnson, an Asheville native and UNC grad, burst onto the national scene this season. He had the Detroit Lions’ offense surging to unseen heights prior to the shutout loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Just 36, Johnson is on a roll in his first year as an offensive coordinator. He’s been in the league since 2013, so he knows the NFL and professional football well. And while he might be a year or two away from being a top candidate in a coaching carousel, Johnson could be a surprise candidate for a few teams this upcoming offseason.
It’s hard to find young, special play-callers, so sometimes teams will take a gamble on a coach a year or two early instead of missing out on potential greatness. Johnson is a name to watch.
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 11:18 AM with the headline "With Matt Rhule fired, here are 14 potential Panthers head coaching candidates."
