Panthers coaching rumors: Steve Wilks unlikely to return with new favorite emerging

The Carolina Panthers are not likely to run it back with Steve Wilks as the full-time head coach.

Even though there was a chance interim head coach Steve Wilks could have gotten the gig full-time, it seems as though owner David Tepper will be going in a different direction for the main job with the Carolina Panthers.

Did Wilks get a raw deal with the Arizona Cardinals? Absolutely. However, Carolina has a tremendous opportunity to completely hit the reset button this offseason. With a new head coach and newly drafted franchise quarterback, the Panthers could be back to contending for playoff berths as early as next year. Do not let how bad the NFC South was fool you. It totally reeked, y’all.

So if Carolina is not expected to bring back Wilks in 2023, who could they be looking at? Marc Ryan of The Fan Upstate reported “Dave Tepper has an affinity for 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans.”

No doubt about it. Ryans is on an upward trajectory to being an NFL head coach. The San Francisco 49ers have been a breeding ground for elite coaching talent ever since Kyle Shanahan took over the operation. Ryans is a former Pro Bowl linebacker with the Houston Texans and a legendary player for the Alabama Crimson Tide in the final years before Nick Saban came to town.

Ryans would be a helluva of a hire for the Panthers, but is Carolina making a mistake with Wilks?

Carolina Panthers rumors: Steve Wilks out, DeMeco Ryans David Tepper favorite?

Look. It is easy to fall in like with the interim coach, but he is the interim for a reason. Very rarely does hiring the interim turn out to be the best thing for any team or program. Dabo Swinneys don’t grow on trees. Even if Wilks is the Carolinian Coach O, a great defensive-minded coach may have a shelf life. As far as Ryans is concerned, this is about seeing if you can land a total rock star.

In a league that is incredibly offensive-driven, the coordinator pool has been diminished quicker than it can be replenished. How do I know this? Well, when you’re a Nathaniel Hackett who can’t hack it, no wonder you’re going one-and-done. But as for defensive minds like Ryans, that is probably the way to go this cycle. He, Dan Quinn, Jonathan Gannon and Lou Anarumo are worthy.

Ultimately, this offseason needs to be about getting it right more than anything. The NFC South is up for grabs as soon as the Super Bowl ends in Arizona. Tom Brady may not be coming back. The Atlanta Falcons are an offseason away and the New Orleans Saints might be two. As for the Panthers, a new head coach and a promising quarterback prospect might win the division in 2023.

Retaining Wilks would not be the end of the world, but missing out on Ryans could be regrettable.