Every NFL team's most baffling decision this offseason
By Nick Villano
Carolina Panthers: Taking a chance on head coach
The Carolina Panthers fired a guy with a ton of experience in Frank Reich. They gave him one year to turn this franchise around after the disastrous Matt Rhule affair. The Panthers desperately need a good coach. So, it was surprising that the Panthers took a major risk with their coaching pick.
The Panthers hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales. He had a really good season with Baker Mayfield, but it was literally his first year running an offense. Canales spent more than a decade under Pete Carroll, taking several roles first at USC and eventually with the Seattle Seahawks. He has grown players under his watch, but being a head coach is about so much more.
How will Canales deal with the constant media attention? How will he deal with settling egos? Can he have hard conversations about promoting and demoting players and coaches? This is something that constantly has moving parts, and being the head coach is being like the CEO of the franchise. It takes a very special personality to do that well.
The Panthers going with someone who doesn’t have that experience to fall back on was a mistake. There is too much on the line with this franchise. If they fail at another coaching hire, it could set them back a very long time.