Upon firing his last head coach in late November, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper said he’d like the next guy to last 20 to 30 years on the job. Well, how about we start off with just a handful for now?
According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Panthers are giving new head coach Dave Canales a six-year contract. The organization officially announced the hiring of the 42-year-old on Thursday night.
While rare, a deal of that length for a first-time head coach isn’t a first-time occurrence. In fact, it’s worked out rather well for the teams who have recently done the same. (Just ask the Houston Texans and DeMeco Ryans, the Detroit Lions and Dan Campbell and the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan.)
Panthers owner David Tepper is hoping the third head-coaching hunt is a charm, as his previous two picks for the post did not pan out. Tepper dismissed Matt Rhule after 38 games from 2020 to 2022 and Frank Reich after just 11 this past season.
