Why Panthers Should Name Steve Wilks Permanent Head Coach

Steve Wilks was facing an extremely difficult challenge when he was named the interim coach of the Carolina Panthers and faced long odds to emerge as more than a placeholder for the head coaching position of a downtrodden franchise.

Wilks has overcome adversity, and steadied the NFC South franchise with his consistent leadership style and is more than deserving of being named the permanent head coach should the Panthers continue to display this progress under his leadership.

And if they don't, Wilks would likely emerge as a candidate for a number of head coaching jobs across the NFL, including potential openings with the Chargers, Cardinals, Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints, Packers, Raiders, and Texans.

The Panthers have gone 4-4 under Wilks' direction since owner David Tepper fired former coach Matt Rhule following a brutal 1-4 start. The Panthers are now in the thick of the NFC South division race and could make the playoffs behind Wilks, a leader of men. The Charlotte native and Appalachian State graduate has emerged as the popular choice for the job and the man of the moment and, quite possibly, the future in Carolina.

"We ride behind Wilks," veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson said. "He came in here, he's a true alpha, he's a true leader, and guys follow behind him. He's done amazing. Look what we've been going through."

Adopting a run-first style behind bruising former Houston Texans third-round draft pick D'Onta Foreman even after trading the organization's top player, Christian McCaffrey, to the San Francisco 49ers, cutting former starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and getting the most out of quarterback Sam Darnold and even winning with former XFL quarterback P.J. Walker and leading a stout defense, Wilks has engineered a serious turnaround.

When Wilks was named the interim coach in October, Tepper declared he would need to do an "incredible job," to earn the permanent head coaching position.

By all reasonable accounts, Wilks has more than done so.

The Panthers have won two consecutive games and are one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the division race. If they close out the season in strong fashion and win the division, they would host a playoff game.

One of their losses, a setback against the Atlanta Falcons, was primarily due to missed kicks.

"I'm just so thrilled and so happy for those guys in the locker room," Wilks said after the win over the Seattle Seahawks. "With everything that we've gone through, that they've gone through with the coaching changes, getting rid of players, 'Is our organization trying to tank it?' all the different kind of things. To see how those guys respond, come out and play, it's pretty emotional."

Wilks went on to emphasize that the organization wasn't actually tanking, but addressed the outside perception of a tank, especially after the McCaffrey trade.

Wilks inherited a difficult situation but transformed a losing culture behind a hard-nosed brand of football.

The Panthers have discovered a gritty, smash-mouth identity behind Wilks, who relates well to players with his steady demeanor. Running behind a physical offensive line with Foreman and Chuba Hubbard isn't flashy, but it's effective and controls the football, and keeps the defense honest. The Panthers pounded the Seahawks with 223 rushing yards on 46 carries.

Wilks has the right temperament. He's emotional when he should be. He's calm and earnest in other times, displaying emotional intelligence and strong people skills.

His relationship and teamwork with general manager Scott Fitterer has paid dividends and bodes well for the future.

He's gotten a lot out of Darnold, who was written off previously, fostering confidence in a player who hadn't made the most out of other opportunities.

Wilks has developed players like defensive back T.J. Carrie, who played for Wilks and defensive coordinator Al Holcomb with the Cleveland Browns and has earned a promotion to the 53-man roster. Both corners Jaycee Horn and C.J. Henderson had interceptions against Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and Horn recovered the game-clinching onside kick.

Every time the Panthers have been successful previously it's been with a defensive coach, including Ron Rivera, John Fox, and Dom Capers. c

Hiring Wilks, who was dismissed way too soon by the Arizona Cardinals after one season, would be a popular move in the locker room and with the fan base.

“As I stated at the beginning, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Wilks, who fired defensive coordinator Phil Snow and replaced him with Holcomb. “But for 13 weeks, I said I was going to do it my way.”

Indeed, he has.

While Tepper hasn't addressed Wilks' future and a search is still considered a strong possibility, he shouldn't look far for his head coach.

Hire Wilks, he won't be sorry if he does.

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