Panthers Fire Head Coach Matt Rhule

The coach leaves Carolina with an 11–27 overall record.
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The Panthers announced Monday morning that they have parted ways with coach Matt Rhule after three seasons.

The team fell to 1–4 this season after Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Rhule ends his tenure in Carolina with an 11–27 record and zero postseason appearances.

The 47-year-old still had four years left on the seven-year, $62 million contract that he signed in 2020. Rhule is still owed more than $40 million by the team, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Rhule previously coached Temple University from 2013–16 and Baylor from 2017–19. Now, Rhule potentially could go back to the collegiate world, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach Steve Wilks will take over as interim head coach. Wilks worked on the Panthers’ staff from 2012–17 before taking over as head coach of the Cardinals in ’18 for one season. He returned to Carolina this season.

Wilks becomes the sixth head coach Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield has played under in five NFL seasons. The starter’s status is currently unknown as he undergoes an MRI on his injured left foot on Monday.

The Panthers face the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Rams, on Sunday.

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For more Carolina Panthers coverage, go to All Panthers. 


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.