Are things about to get even more awkward between the Carolina Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule? Well, according to the latter party, probably not.
Following the team’s first outing of rookie minicamp, Rhule hit the podium for a 22-minute session with Charlotte media. Amongst the topics covered was the report from Front Office Sports a day prior, one which alleged the Panthers have been “eyeing” the services of former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
When asked about the purported link, Rhule said he’s still here to deal with all that comes with his occupation.
“My job’s my job. I’m gonna attack it,” Rhule said with a smile. “You’d love to have everything be smooth sailing. Like, I wake up when things happen. Like when stories come out, unnamed sources say this, anything that happens. Any adversity happens and I say ‘How lucky am I that I’m gonna have a chance to overcome this adversity and be a better coach, person, man, father—all this because of it.”
Rhule then got into a bit more detail about the report, stating that owner David Tepper gave him a heads up about its publication ahead of time.
“With regards to that report—first I heard of it, Dave called me and told me that it was gonna come out, that they had called him, that there was nothing to it,” he added. “I know Dave Tepper well enough to know he wouldn’t be talkin’ to another coach right now. When he came to my house two and a half years ago, he told me this was a five-year rebuild. That’s what he said to me. He convinced me then to come be apart of it with him and build it with him. We’re not where we wanna be. I don’t think it’s gonna take five years. I don’t want it to take five years. But those are the words he said to me.”
Hopefully for Rhule, Tepper is a man of his word.
