Steve Wilks, whose coaching background includes a pair of stints at HBCUs, has been named the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers after the team fired Matt Rhule on Monday.
Not even 24 hours after their 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers announced that Rhule was gone five games into his third season. He leaves with a 1-4 record in 2022, an 11-27 overall mark and four years left on the seven-year, $62 million contract he signed to replace Ron Rivera.
PANTHERS’ OWNER DISCUSSES WILKS
Panthers owner David Tepper told reporters at an afternoon news conference that he would see how the rest of the 2022 season goes before he considers Wilks a candidate to become the permanent head coach, his second tenure. To see also : Judges Must Stop Writing For ‘Cheerleading You Get From Twitter,’ Judge Tells Crowd Of Twitter Cheerleaders.
“Ultimately, he’s in a position to be considering that position,” Tepper said. “I had a chat with Steve. No promises were made. But, obviously, if he’s doing an amazing job, he’ll have to be considered for that.”
Asked if he believed Wilks could turn the team’s fortunes around, Tepper said he and the fans would have to watch and wait. But he told another reporter that he had the right man for the acting role.
“Steve is a leader of men. He’s got experience as a head coach,” Tepper said. “And I thought he’s the best candidate in the building for that role.”
HOW WILKS GOT TO THE CAROLINA PANTHERS
Wilks, who is in his second stint as an assistant with the Panthers, graduated from West Charlotte High School and is a graduate of Appalachian State University. To see also : Cheerleading CM has a busy spring and summer | News, Sports, Jobs – The Express. After playing for the Arena League’s Charlotte Rage in 1993, Wilks coached at Johnson C. Smith in 1995.
Not only did Wilks make plays at Johnson C. Smith, but he was also the coach who washed the clothes and kept the field in shape. He has often said that cutting grass at JCSU is among his fondest memories.
From there, Wilks went to Savannah State to become the defensive coordinator. He advanced to head coach in 1999, finishing 5-6 in the school’s final season in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Wilks, 53, returned to the Panthers this year to become the defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach. Wilks previously joined the Panthers coaching staff in 2012 as defensive backs coach, and also served as assistant head coach from 2015 to 2017, and defensive coordinator in 2017.
WILKS JOINS LAWSUIT ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION
Wilks left the Panthers to become the head coach of the Cardinals in 2018, but was let go after one season. On the same subject : O-Zone: Leave it alone. That firing eventually led him to join a lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, which accuses the National Football League of racial discrimination.
After finishing 3-13, Wilks was replaced by current coach Kliff Klingsbury. Lawyers say Wilks was discriminated against as a “bridge instructor” who was given “no meaningful opportunity to succeed.”
“When Coach Flores filed this action, I knew I owed it to myself, and to all Black NFL coaches and aspiring coaches, to stand with him,” Wilks said in a statement released by his attorneys.
“This legal case has shed further important light on a problem that we all know exists, but that not enough are ready to face it. Black instructors and applicants should have exactly the same ability to become employed, and remain employed, as white instructors and applicants. That is not the case at this time, and I look forward to working with Coach Flores and Coach Horton to ensure that the desire for racial equality in the NFL becomes a reality.”
After leaving the Cardinals, Wilks became the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, and spent 2021 as the defensive coordinator at the University of Missouri before returning to Charlotte.
Carolina Panthers name former HBCU coach Steve Wilks as interim
Did Arthur Smith play in the NFL?
Smith only played in one game for the 2002 season as he was diagnosed with a foot problem and did not play the rest of the season. Smith had foot surgery in January 2003 and missed the entire 2003 season. Smith saw little action in 2004 and 2005.
What position did Arthur Smith play? Smith graduated from North Carolina where he played offensive line and later joined the Tar Heels coaching staff as a graduate assistant (2006), working with the offensive line.
Since when has Arthur Smith been the coach of the Falcons? Arthur Smith is a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and has been the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons since 2021. During this time, the Falcons compiled a 12-20-0 record. He was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021 until the 2022 season, during which time the Falcons went 12-20-0.
Who all did the Panthers fire?
Who did the Carolina Panthers fire this week? The Carolina Panthers fired coach Matt Rhule on Monday, the team announced, five games into his third season with the team. The Panthers are 1-4 this season, suffering their latest loss on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at home.
Who got fired in the NFL? Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was the first boss sent packing, as Carolina fired the 47-year-old after his latest loss to the San Francisco 49ers. And next was Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts who was fired after a 3-5-1 start to the 2022 season.
Who got fired from the Panthers?
The arrival of Baker Mayfield was supposed to signal a turning point in head coach Matt Rhule’s tenure with the Carolina Panthers. Instead, it spelled his demise. After a 1-4 start to the 2022 season, the Panthers fired Rhule on Monday, the team announced.
Who all did the Panthers fire? The Panthers have fired cornerbacks coach Evan Cooper and defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni, the team announced Monday. The move comes a day after losing to the Bengals, 42 – 21. Cooper joined the franchise in 2020 under former head coach Matt Rhule, who was fired in October.
Why was the Panthers coach fired? Matt Rhule is out as head coach, the Carolina Panthers announced Monday. In 2020, he was hired on a seven-year, $62 million contract. Now, Carolina owes Rhule upwards of $40 million for the remainder of his contract. Rhule was fired mainly because he couldn’t get over the missing mound, owner David Tepper said.
