Looking to make a splash hire, Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper reached into the college stages to hire Matt Rhule three offseasons ago. He lasted just 38 games before Tepper pulled the plug on said experiment.
This has left Steve Wilks as the head coach in the interim, but barring an even stronger finish to their season, being that they’ve already gone an impressive (for Carolina) 4-4 since taking over, Tepper is widely expected to conduct a full coaching search once again.
That’s if he hasn’t already started.
As ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports, Tepper is aiming to avoid his previous mistake by hiring a coach with previous NFL experience in the lead chair.
With their criteria established, the Panthers have already generated a number of potential coaches who could receive an interview later this offseason, and some are quite notable.
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Carolina Panthers interested in Sean Payton, Frank Reich, others
According to Graziano, the Panthers’ short list of initial head coaching candidates includes Leslie Frazier (Bills D-coordinator), Marvin Lewis (advisor at Arizona State), Sean Payton, Frank Reich, and Dan Quinn (Cowboys D-coordinator).
Payton’s inclusion is particularly fascinating. It’s not that the Panthers wouldn’t have enough money to offer Payton essentially a blank check, even after having to also pay Rhule for the next five seasons.
Moreso, Payton’s link here is interesting because the New Orleans Saints and Panthers are NFC South division rivals, and as rare as it is to see inner-division trades, it would be even odder to see a head coach change teams. Especially one who won a Super Bowl.
The Saints would demand a king’s ransom from the Panthers, probably more than they’d seek from an AFC team that may have interest in trading for Payton, who is still technically under contract with New Orleans.
Other names on the list are also quite experienced, but Marvin Lewis has taken a step back in coaching duties in recent time. The others would appear to be rising stars, with Frazier and Quinn both good bets to receive another gig. Reich is well-respected league-wide, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him land another head-coaching job during the upcoming hiring cycle.
While we’re still early in the coaching search, the Panthers at least have a list of experienced options they’re considering for now. There’s always the possibility of another veteran mind hitting the open market as we near the final stretch of the regular season.
