Since David Tepper took ownership of the Carolina Panthers, he has fired three coaches and hired two. Soon enough, Tepper and the consulting firm he’s working with will hire a third head coach just since 2020.
Naturally, after realizing Matt Rhule and Frank Reich weren’t the right leaders for the job, Tepper wants to make sure he gets this hire right. First, he took the young, up-and-coming hotshot who seemed like the next rising star with Rhule.
While he got two and a half seasons to prove his mettle, it didn’t work out, and Rhule was let go after compiling an 11-27 record.
Then, Tepper tried the opposite approach, hiring an experienced NFL head coach with a bright offensive mind to help Bryce Young, the new face of the franchise, reach his potential. Yet, Reich didn’t get nearly as long of a leash, and was let go after a 1-10 start.
Now that Tepper has tried someone from college and someone with previous head coaching experience, there’s no telling where he turns next. Yet, we may have just gotten our first hint.
Related: 5 Carolina Panthers coaching candidates to replace Frank Reich, including Ben Johnson
Carolina Panthers aim for the moon with Bill Belichick
Sometimes, the best way to make sure you get arguably the biggest hire of your life right, is by focusing on the top dog in the business. Who’s bigger and better than Bill Belichick?
According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the Panthers “at a high level” have already made “informal inquiries” into the potential hiring of Coach Belichick this offseason.
The “at a high level” part seems to indicate this work may have been done by Tepper himself or possibly the consulting firm he’s hired. We know general manager Scott Fitterer has been relieved of his duties, so it wasn’t him.
So far, there’s been no indication either way whether Belichick will or won’t become available this offseason. Some believe Patriots owner Robert Kraft would never be able to fire arguably the greatest coach of all time after delivering six Super Bowl rings to New England. Whereas, others don’t see any way the stubborn head coach would go along with a trade to a new destination, knowing it could cost his next team valuable players or draft picks.
Either way, it appears Tepper is aiming high in his search for the next Panthers head coach, and that could be a good sign of what’s to come this offseason as he looks to get the team back on track.
Related: 3 Carolina Panthers offseason moves to help Bryce Young live up to draft status