Panthers' Coaching Trio Rank Suggests Room for Growth and NFC South Dominance

The Panthers' trio of Dave Canales, Ejiro Evero, and Brad Idzik ranked pretty well.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales greets players after a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers had a really rough run of coaches after firing Ron Rivera. Things have finally begun to change under Dave Canales, though, and a recent coaching staff ranking suggests the Panthers might finally have it figured out.

Panthers rank 14th in coaching trios across the NFL

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

According to Fran Fraschella, a respected NFL insider, the Carolina Panthers have the 14th-best coaching staff in the NFL. This reveals two things. First, that there's room for improvement, and second, that they run the NFC South.

Frascella ranks all 32 NFL Coaching trios:

1. Jaguars: Coen, Udinski, Campanile
2. Broncos: Payton, Webb, Joseph
3. Rams: McVay, Scheelhaase, Shula
4. Chiefs: Reid, Bieniemy, Spagnuolo
5. 49ers: Shanahan, Kubiak, Morris
6. Seahawks: Macdonald, Fleury, Durde
7. Vikings:… pic.twitter.com/ZWr23AZwAA

— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) May 19, 2026

The Panthers' trio of Canales, Idzik, and Evero ranked 14th in the NFL, which is a pretty solid ranking. It looks even better when you consider some of the teams just ahead of them:

• Baltimore Ravens
• Chicago Bears
• New England Patriots
• Green Bay Packers

Plus, the Panthers' coaching staff ranked better than the staffs belonging to Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Giants. That's a pretty good collection of coaching staffs that Frascella believes the Panthers are better than.

Of course, 14th suggests room to grow, and there certainly is. Canales has plenty he can work on, and his transition out of play-caller to more of a CEO coach might help him do that. Idzik is a question mark, but the change in play-caller isn't likely to create a major shift in philosophy.

On defense, Evero is extremely well-liked, and we'll see this year if the talent deficit he doesn't have anymore will translate to better results. He was extended after the Panthers yielded the most cumulative points in NFL history. He's been interviewed for head coaching jobs despite never having better than a mediocre defense with the Panthers.

Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Panthers can get better there, but they aren't pressed to do so. Look at the rest of the NFC South rankings:

• 14th: Panthers
• 19th: New Orleans Saints
• 27th: Atlanta Falcons
• 29th: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Based on this, the Panthers absolutely have the best staff in the division. That may have been true last year when they won the division despite being relatively short on talent. This year, now that they've added a ton of talent in the offseason, the coaching staff may have an easier time getting wins.

In a tight division and with the Panthers facing a tough schedule, which we've spoken about at length, every little thing matters. The Panthers having the best coaching staff in the division absolutely matters, although New Orleans being not far behind with a fourth-place schedule could provide a challenge.