When the Carolina Panthers officially hired Dave Canales last Thursday, he became the only current Latino head coach in the NFL. And a week later, the team’s other part of their new power duo spoke about the importance of the decision.
Canales and president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan were introduced in their new roles during a press conference this morning. Morgan was asked about the organization’s thought process in hiring a head coach who not only fits the bill, but represents a culture that’s experiencing substantial growth in the area.
“First of all, diversity is a big part of what we do here with the Carolina Panthers,” he replied. “Dave just happened to be Mexican-American, and also a really good coach and a really qualified coach. So, I’m really happy that he’s here with us and we’re really blessed to have him.”
Residents of Mexican descent currently make up for the largest group of the region’s Latino population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Mexican population in the Charlotte area increased by 27 percent from 2010 to 2020.
Canales, additionally, is now just the fifth head coach of Latino descent in NFL history—joining Tom Fears, Tom Flores, Brian Flores and a pretty familiar name in Ron Rivera.
