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Matt Rhule is out as head coach, the Carolina Panthers announced Monday. In 2020, he was hired on a $62 million, seven-year contract. Now, Carolina owes Rhule upwards of $40 million for the remainder of his contract.
Rhule was mainly fired because he could not get over the losing hump, owner David Tepper said. Early this year, when asked about Rhule and the slow start, Tepper said he was being patient because the locker room still believed in him.
Lead Up
Carolina had a record of 11-27 under Rhule. The Panthers went 5-11 in 2021 and 5-12 in 2020. They start this season at 1-4. The job has not been easy on Rhule, however.
The team has gone through multiple quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton and most recently Baker Mayfield who the Panthers traded for in the offseason.
Tepper named Steve Wilks the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Wilks served as the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals during the 2018 season. During his season, the Cardinals had the worst record in the NFL at 3-13 and were he was promptly fired. Since then, he bounced around landing jobs at both the Cleveland Browns and with Missouri serving as defensive coordinator until being hired as Rhule’s defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach.
Going Forward Without Rhule
Tepper now has to start the process of looking for a new head coach, however, he said his sights are still set on this season turning it around.
The Panthers take on the former Super Bowl Champs on Sunday. The Rams will host Carolina and kickoff is slated for 4:05 p.m.
