TheMaulClaw

You could make an argument that he didn't get offers because teams assumed he was going to be the Panthers coach, he isn't the only qualified coach that doesn't get "interviews" or legit consideration. It's okay to admit the NFL has had some racial discrepancies when it comes to coaches, ownership, and qbs. It's also okay to like the hiring of Frank Reich. It's also okay to realize that the team greatly mismanaged the situation and didn't do itself any favors by not perpetuating that notion.

Exactly right. You can get away with that when it comes to players, but not in the actual real world.

So you think the Panthers conducted the interviews on the up and up?

It's not about race, it's about creating a fake interview process.

They should have just been honest with Wilks about their direction as opposed to creating a fake interview process and keeping him in the dark. It probably cost him opportunity. I'm sure he would have been hard at work trying to land at another spot much earlier if he had been adequately warned. No way around it, the Panthers absolutely screwed Steve Wilks. Not saying it's due to race, but he was screwed over and I am mad for him. Wilks has been nothing but classy. He did not deserve this, and we don't deserve him honestly.

Be careful, there is something weird happening on this board. If your honest about this, there are an army of people trying to poo the post. There was absolutely nothing wrong with your post. I don't have a problem with Reich. He's a good man and a good coach. This conversation isn't about him. This is about the efficacy of the Panthers process or lack thereof. Reich's daughter being hired weeks ago is an absolute red flag. In no world is it more likely a coincidence then not. I happen to think that Reich was decided on while the season was still going on. There is no way they didn't reach out to Reich after he was let go in Indy. I don't think there is anything wrong about that either. What is the issue is the lack of transparency, and lying to Wilks about a possible opportunity he had. I don't think it's racially motivated. I think it is rooted in that the Panthers wanted to go offensive, but they definitely mismanaged the situation, and it's led to an optics and PR nightmare that will result in a nice settlement check owed to Steve Wilks. As soon as they made the decision to go with an offensive mind they should have disclosed that to Steve as opposed to stringing him along making him believe he had an actual shot at the gig. Not a smart play with a guy who has active case against the NFL.

Yes.

Like I said in the thread that started that got poo'd so much. It's not that the Panthers hired Reich. It's that they conducted a scam interview process and they absolutely deserve to get sued for that.

I mean I operate under the assumption that Superbowls are fixed...so yes. It's what I want.

I mean we had a pretty good experience with Cam.

Careful the poobirds are out. Anything skeptical and not in line with the meta will be shat upon. Even just a joke.

I understand. In the OP I'm complimentary of Reich and I will support him.

I understand all that sentiment. I don't think anyone does want to return to Rivera. The purpose of the OP isn't to say Reich should or shouldn't have been hired. It's purpose was to point out how the Panthers mismanaged the communication with Wilks. They hired Reich's daughter weeks prior and then wag the dog with a faux coaching search. Reich was likely the guy a month ago. It's fine if that was case, but at least tell Wilks that. Don't string the guy out.

I agree. Is Reich a home run hire? That's the question. Imagine if we start 0-2.

The point of the post wasn't too poo on Reich. I understand the intrigue. I understand why people like the hire. I'm just not big on the fake coaching race between the two. It was never a race. It was a little shady.

Wilks did an absolute phenomonal job with what he had to work with. I'm just not sure if Reich is going to come in and be our missing ingredient and perform drastically better over the next two years. I'll support Reich. But let's not pretend like Wilks only did an average job last year.

Frank Reich has been pretty average. Maybe slightly above. I would not advocate for Wilks over a home run hire. I wanted Payton.

Live within the meta all you want too. Wilks did a spectacular job in that role. I mean not hiring because you read a stat is not very smart. Have respect for nuance.

Me too, no one mentioned average.

We actually didn't get blown out by the Steelers or Bucs. It is reasonable to say we would have likely improved next year with Wilks. I think 6-6 was really impressive after the abysmal start. Also I don't think it's unreasonable to say the Panthers mismanaged their communication with Wilks through this process. The hiring of Reich's daughter several weeks ago is very peculiar. I am just not sure if Reich represents such a massive upgrade that warranted not just holding Wilks. Frank Reich is growing on me, but he hasn't been truly great as an HC either. Reich didn't have a great qb situation, but Wilks went 6-6 with how many qbs? He didn't do a bad job managing qbs.

I learned nothing from Matt Rhule. A coach who came in over his head with gimmicky sayings and an unauthentic feel. I don't remember much of the Rhule era, it's all a blur. A systemic response designed to prevent emotional drama, memories of Rhule have been cast out of my memory bank in an attempt at preservation. Matt Rhule had many sayings that he used and stored for speaking engagements. They were all hollow, non memorable, and unauthentic. His firing was a weight lifted off the city of Charlotte. Collective exhale. Collective relief. Enter Wilks. Wilks was able to use nostalgia as a weapon. He knew Panther fans associated him with better times, and he seized the opportunity to recreate that mantra. Keep Pounding and it's real meaning became a spirit rekindled. The effort on the field. The determination and focus in Wilks' eyes were striking. Wilks' hyper-discipline was palpable. Yet behind his serious nature, you could see a glimpse that he was also deeply empathetic, and wise with leadership. Relatively speaking he was a man of few words, but occasionally he would share some wise sayings. Sayings so good we can apply it in our own lives. "Don't let the great be the enemy of the good." What a wonderful saying. What thoughtful advice we can use in our own lives when it comes to risk assesment and decision making. Here is the thing about Charlotte, the Carolina Panthers, and winning: The coach of the Panthers just isn't the coach of a football team. They are Charlotte's coach. Whenever the Panthers have been successful it's not only because the coach has galvanized the players. It's also because the coach has galvanized the city. In a short period of time Wilks accomplished this. The team improved greatly. Each week with Wilks at the helm, it felt like we had a shot. The city of Charlotte and Panther fans felt acknowledged because of the return of our mantra, and our tradition. There is no coincidence that Wilks was able to draw the best out of the players by understanding this. This is a sign of a man who truly understands the importance of that connection. The Carolina Panthers obviously weren't expecting Wilks to succeed. I actually find it hard to believe that they ever even considered Wilks. They hired Reich's daughter weeks ago. In retrospect, an obvious tell. The Panthers did a false flag operation. They leaked that WIlks was a finalist, and that he interviewed well. They pretended like it was a painstaking decision, when really Wilks was never in consideration. They were not honest with WIlks the way Wilks was honest to the players. It's a shame and a burned bridge that could have been saved. A Tepper tactic that is making Carolina fans and city officials very leary. We see this same dishonestly play out in land development deals surrounding Tepper's other ventures. From the Panthers' perspective, they evaluated what they needed from a coaching perspective prior to firing Rhule. They had a direction they wanted to go. They want the quarterback situation fixed. They want to go offensive. It all makes sense. It follows the latest trends. Frank Reich is a good man, an ex Panther, and a good coach. This isn't his fault. While the team was good under Wilks, it has the potential to be great with Reich finding a qb. They think. The Panthers were likely to be good next season with Wilks at the helm. Albeit Wilks wasn't perfect. Decisions in the Bucs game we're questionable, and the Steelers manhandled us, but we saw enough to see a clear trajectory. We were going to be good, and that's what this city needed. Good is not good enough for the Panthers. Now they've put the pressure on themselves. They better be great, because otherwise they ran a good man, and coach out of town for nothing. I have a sneaking feeling that the Panthers let the great be the enemy of the good.

Foxy catches a lot of poo on this board. But I love him. He was a good coach for us. I'd love to have him back in some capacity.

Feel bad for Wilks.

So I'm going back and listening to some Frank Reich press conferences going back a few years to get a feel for the guy. This guy is unbelievable at coach speak. This is a quote I heard. "I'm glad you asked that question. I'm not saying it's not true but I'm not saying it is true either, know what I mean? I'm glad you asked that question." Had me dying of laughter.

To be fair Kellen Moore he did win a ton of games with a backup this year.