Steve Wilks has proved he has what it takes to be HC

[Verge]

Had the opportunity to write up my thoughts on Wilks and his candidacy for head coach and thought you all would enjoy.

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2022/12/13/panthers-steve-wilks-head-coach-week-14/

 

As usual thank you all for the support and no I don't get paid for clicks

[Bear Hands]

Nice write up.

If we're rolling with him come season's end, we really need a focused search on getting a legitimate offensive mind in house that won't leave immediately for a HC gig.  Priority #1 alongside QB.

[Sean Payton's Vicodin]

23 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

Nice write up.

If we're rolling with him come season's end, we really need a focused search on getting a legitimate offensive mind in house that won't leave immediately for a HC gig.  Priority #1 alongside QB.

This doesn't exist. Any good OC is going to be a HC material because those are extremely high in demand. HC Wilks will have to win with Mike Shulas or Ben Mcadoos.

[Bear Hands]

13 minutes ago, Sean Payton's Vicodin said:

This doesn't exist. Any good OC is going to be a HC material because those are extremely high in demand. HC Wilks will have to win with Mike Shulas or Ben Mcadoos.

Yeah I'm pipe dreaming.  Brian Johnson in PHI looks cool but get what you're saying, could be hard to sustain.  Good OC's are being pried left and right into HC spots.  McDaniel, O'Connell, Taylor, the list goes on.  Steichen and Ben Johnson will be next.

About the only guy that's perked my interest in Darrell Bevell in MIA.  He could do well back in an OC role (much better than McAdoo, but I don't think he's HC material)

 

[Khyber53]

Nice piece, but we can't crown him yet. There's still four very important games to go and we need to see what he can do against teams he should be able to beat. This is the real, real, real part of his pre-employment test. It really is a make your own destiny situation.

And MacAdoo is there, too. He's been given the chance to forge an offense that works with what we've got rather than what Rhule envisioned. And, it's working. As they said, he wanted a "heavy handed" offense and we're doing really well with that. If we can keep winning, he, along with Wilks, may well have worked their way into long term positions here. Same for Al Holcomb who has put some steel into this defense's backbone.

Still, we've got four teams ahead of us, all deeply flawed. If we can't at least break even, then I'd be on the phone to some hiring/evaluation experts if I were Tepper. 

Wilks does, more than anything, need to get more than the five wins Rhule was able to generate in each of the past two seasons. I know he didn't get a full season to do it in, but those are the breaks. If you can't break that high water mark, then we need to maybe move on.

Don't get me wrong, though, I really want to see Wilks earn this job and be our head coach next year for a myriad of reasons. He just really has to pass the test first.

[gofightwin]

3 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

Nice piece, but we can't crown him yet. There's still four very important games to go and we need to see what he can do against teams he should be able to beat. This is the real, real, real part of his pre-employment test. It really is a make your own destiny situation.

This. I know we have looked better recently with Wilks at the helm for sure....but we just can't give him the permanent job with four winnable games to go. We could get trounced four games in a row and all the progress can be thrown out the window.

To say he trending in the right direction is a much better than "he has proved it".  Six games doesn't make a season when there is four more to go. 

[Black&BlueBubba]

If you listen to he post game lockeroom speach that is a leader of men.  
 

Really like the stern competitive nature he brings.  Hope he continues to push the team towards the playoffs.  Even if we get close he should be in first dibs for the HC job. 
 

He got fuged in Arizona. Never given a chance. 

[mrcompletely11]

1 minute ago, Black&BlueBubba said:

If you listen to he post game lockeroom speach that is a leader of men.  
 

Really like the stern competitive nature he brings.  Hope he continues to push the team towards the playoffs.  Even if we get close he should be in first dibs for the HC job. 
 

He got fuged in Arizona. Never given a chance. 

Leader of men is one thing.  Outscheming another nfl coach is completely different.  Which one is more important I'm not sure but I have an idea.   

[CarolinaLivin]

Idk I still feel like we can do better. But I fully understand that we can do much worse.

[Verge]

49 minutes ago, Sean Payton's Vicodin said:

This doesn't exist. Any good OC is going to be a HC material because those are extremely high in demand. HC Wilks will have to win with Mike Shulas or Ben Mcadoos.

He has a history with Mike McCoy who is doing a good job as the QB coach down in Jacksonville. Could be worth a look.

[Verge]

1 minute ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Leader of men is one thing.  Outscheming another nfl coach is completely different.  Which one is more important I'm not sure but I have an idea.   

Wilks has certainly been better about scheming and adjustments than Rhule or Rivera I think. I don't know that that is saying much, but there is a clear plan of attack in each game and a willingness to pivot. 

[rayzor]

i don't see him really ever being the HC that out-schemes his opponents, but he may not need to be. 

he's accomplished in just a few weeks what rhule thought was going to have to take years more to build...he's changed the culture, he's reformed it. he's made it competitive. now i don't know completely what the endgame culture-wise was for rhule, but i'm not sure he ever did either. 

the fact that wilks isn't a micro-manager, and that he lets his coaches coach will go a long way in the success of the team going forward. you get the best possible OC in here and Wilks will be stepping aside and letting him do his job, just like he's done with macadoo, and that's exactly what we need if we don't have a offensive guru as HC. of course get a good QB is also a big thing, but still...he's got a significant advantage over any other HC candidate out there. 

anyone that gets hired will have to take time to know and be known by the team. they'll all have to learn what to expect from each other and they'll be starting over from scratch. it might be something in which a dramatic transition takes place and everything clicks right into place, but more than likely there will be time spent trying to figure things out and we're looking at another year or two to be relevant.

imo, wilks is saying and doing all the right things needed to get a jump start and all we'll need is that OC and QB combo. 

if the seattle win wasn't a fluke and this is a team that can fight and fights into the playoffs, then he's the safe and smart bet that helps us hit the ground running next year.

[mrcompletely11]

1 minute ago, Verge said:

He has a history with Mike McCoy who is doing a good job as the QB coach down in Jacksonville. Could be worth a look.

This is the exact reason I don't want Wilks if he goes down that road.  

[rayzor]

3 minutes ago, Verge said:

He has a history with Mike McCoy who is doing a good job as the QB coach down in Jacksonville. Could be worth a look.

i'd rather not go the mccoy route. never really been a fan. no real track record of success in any capacity other than being able to stay employed somewhere for the past couple decades.