Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule needs all the help he can get to stick around beyond this pivotal 2022 season. So, he made sure to surround himself with strong personalities that’ll tell him how it is.
After the Panthers’ latest installment of organized team activities on Wednesday, Rhule hit the podium to discuss the current state of his squad. Among the points he hit was the nature his new coaching staff—one that’s stacked with a wealth of football knowhow and leadership abilities.
“You never wanna be around people that are just yes men,” Rhule said of his guys. “You wanna be around alphas, leaders, people with great ideas. At the same time, we’re gonna debate, we’re gonna argue, we’re gonna do all those things. But when we decide something, we’re gonna carry it on out.”
Rhule’s offseason overhaul of his supporting cast had a pretty prevalent theme—experience. From former head coaches in offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and secondary coach Steve Wilks to special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, offensive line coach James Campen and defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni—who have all been at their respective crafts for decades—Carolina has no shortage of seasoning.
And, despite bringing together a bunch of alphas, Rhule is encouraged by the work his group has already done together.
“But I think the personalities are all coming together in a really nice way,” he added. “I really like the staff. They’re enjoyable to be around. I think the guys who have been here have done a lot of legwork to get us to this point, where we are right now. The new coaches have been nothing but great.”
