With a Divisional Round matchup against the Detroit Lions on the horizon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales had himself a pretty busy Thursday.
The Carolina Panthers announced that they have completed their virtual interview with Canales, one of 12 known candidates in their search for a new head coach. He is now the 10th man to speak with the organization about the opening.
Canales got his NFL start as a wide receivers coach with the Seattle Seahawks, a stint that lasted from 2010 to 2017. He’d then serve as the team’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator between 2018 and 2022.
The Harbor City, Calif. native was then hired as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023. He was asked about his opportunity to interview for Carolina’s head-coaching vacancy last Friday.
“Yeah, it is surreal to me,” Canales replied, via River Wells of Bucs Wire. “And I’m really grateful, because I honestly can’t do this without the guys in this building—without the talent that we have on our offense, an amazing staff that’s just worked their tail off to put ourselves in the situation to win the division. And so when I think about it, it’s like—okay, coordinator gets all the heat and you get all the praise while there’s really a bigger story than that.”
