The next four weeks...

[Mr. Scot]

From earlier today...

So at this point, any team that either dismisses their head coach or simply notifies them that they won't be returning next year can request interviews with head coaching candidates from other organizations during the last two weeks of the season. To be clear, teams can deny those requests until the season is over if they feel so inclined, but I get the feeling they won't.

What that means for us...

Suppose the Panthers do take a hard look at moving on from Matt Rhule. In such a scenario, they might be well advised to move quickly.

Why? Well, let's say they don't, but another team like Jacksonville, Chicago or Minnesota decides to just go ahead and bite the bullet. Those teams would have a head start on their coaching interviews. And if they were to target someone the Panthers want, they'd have a pretty good shot at scooping us.

So whether you're a fan of Hackett, Daboll, Eberflus, Bieniemy, Leftwich, Moore or someone else, you could wind up watching helplessly while some other team successfully courts your favorite candidate. This while the Panthers sit and ponder whether or not to add one more year to the Matt Rhule experiment.

I, for one, absolutely hate that idea.

Mind you, I do think it's going to be a waste of time to log on to The Huddle or Twitter and spend hours punishing the F5 button in the hopes of seeing the magical words "Panthers fire Matt Rhule" for at least the next two weeks. There's no great practical advantage to letting him go until that final two week window is in reach.

But when that window does get here, I seriously hope the Panthers open it because the thought of watching some other team get better with the hiring of a qualified NFL coach and staff while we're stuck with Matt Rhule and his college cadets makes me feel like puking

So here's my pitch, or my plea if you prefer, to David Tepper and the Panthers...

Don't give those other teams a head start on hiring a quality head coach. We need that coach ourselves!

Don't sit on your ass and ponder whether maybe "the process" can work if it just has a little more time. My bowels have a process too, and no matter how much time I give them all they ever produce is more sh-t.

And please, for peak's sake, don't make us sit through another year of banging our skulls against the wall and hoping the headache will somehow go away. Twenty plus years of experience tells me it won't.

Make the call...

For the future

[Paa Langfart]

Much as he needs to go I still don't think Tepper will make the move this season.  Maybe half way though next year when it is undeniable how lamebrained Rhule and co. are.  I hope I am wrong because another off season of this coaching regime will cripple this team for more years to come.  BTW I also hope Fitterer is out on his ass as well, but that is even more unlikely.

[Cdparr7]

I have a hunch it’s going to play out one of 3 ways IF Rhule is fired. 
 

A) Terminated Monday. This gives them a week to line up interviews for the 28th. And let’s the team adjust with a following home game.

B)Terminated after the Bucs home game next Monday which gives them 2 days to line up interviews roughly.

C)Terminated at the end of the season to avoid looking like an impatient owner and giving him the full season. 
 

If he’s still here after the home game against the Bucs he will be here til January 11th.

I think a bad loss to Buffalo, and a bad home loss to the Bucs Christmas weekend will be enough, and they will start lining up interviews that week.

[Mr. Scot]

9 minutes ago, Paa Langfart said:

Much as he needs to go I still don't think Tepper will make the move this season.  Maybe half way though next year when it is undeniable how lamebrained Rhule and co. are.  I hope I am wrong because another off season of this coaching regime will cripple this team for more years to come.  BTW I also hope Fitterer is out on his ass as well, but that is even more unlikely.

Tepper took too long to part ways with Marty Hurney despite shortcomings that were painfully obvious...to everybody but Tepper.

I won't be terribly surprised if he makes the same mistake with Matt Rhule. I guess I'm just kind of hoping he's learned something at this point.

Would prefer to keep Fitterer and Morgan around though. I'd like to see what they can do with a staff of actual NFL coaches.

[Cdparr7]

5 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Tepper took too long to part ways with Marty Hurney despite shortcomings that were painfully obvious...to everybody but Tepper.

I won't be terribly surprised if he makes the same mistake with Matt Rhule. I guess I'm just kind of hoping he's learned something at this point.

Would prefer to keep Fitterer and Morgan around though. I'd like to see what they can do with a staff of actual NFL coaches.

Morgan more than Fitterer. He’s been a part of Panthers culture. He knows what our identity is and knows the fanbase. He would build a stout 4-3 / power running team.

[SmokinwithWilly]

12 minutes ago, Cdparr7 said:

I have a hunch it’s going to play out one of 3 ways IF Rhule is fired. 
 

A) Terminated Monday. This gives them a week to line up interviews for the 28th. And let’s the team adjust with a following home game.

B)Terminated after the Bucs home game next Monday which gives them 2 days to line up interviews roughly.

C)Terminated at the end of the season to avoid looking like an impatient owner and giving him the full season. 
 

If he’s still here after the home game against the Bucs he will be here til January 11th.

I think a bad loss to Buffalo, and a bad home loss to the Bucs Christmas weekend will be enough, and they will start lining up interviews that week.

Option D. 

Tepper holds a Rhule type press conference at 9am Monday morning praising the effort Rhule has put into the coaching job and promises a promising turnaround next season with Rhule at the helm and how much he looks forward to working with him next year. 

1pm. Rhule is given his walking papers. 

 

[Cdparr7]

Just now, SmokinwithWilly said:

Option D. 

Tepper holds a Rhule type press conference at 9am Monday morning praising the effort Rhule has put into the coaching job and promises a promising turnaround next season with Rhule at the helm and how much he looks forward to working with him next year. 

1pm. Rhule is given his walking papers. 

 

Ah, live by sword and die by the sword.

 

I like it.

[musicman]

They are NOT going to let Rhule go. Also think that most of the coaches are mostly Rhule guys, who guides the team? He's gonna get year 3 and if shows improvement, he'll get another. Its a 7 year contract. He staying 3 to 4 years at a minimum. Tepper original said it may take 5 years to build a consistent winner so I see 4 as a minimum. 

[BIGH2001]

I agree he needs to go but the mad dash to get “the guy” is what put us in this situation with rhule. I’d rather tepper take his time and get it right instead of making a stupid rash decision that backfires. His quotes after he hired rhule are really stupid and reflect a lack of thought on why he was selected. 

[TheCasillas]

I get that adding to two weeks allows teams to court coaches quicker, but on the flip side… it’s not like these coaches are going to rush to get hired unless it’s their only opportunity.

 

take Eberflus for example. There is a chance he won’t go to the playoffs this year. So he would be available to do interviews as soon as week 17. However, his agent is going to tell him “don’t take the first offer, there are going to be many opportunities available after the season”

i get that notion its a head start, but it doesn’t mean it’s an early hire. Coaches are gonna want to strike bidding wars, and wait for other coaches to get hired to set the market price. It’s going to be interesting to watch. 

[Mr. Scot]

2 hours ago, BIGH2001 said:

I agree he needs to go but the mad dash to get “the guy” is what put us in this situation with rhule. I’d rather tepper take his time and get it right instead of making a stupid rash decision that backfires. His quotes after he hired rhule are really stupid and reflect a lack of thought on why he was selected. 

I don't blame the "mad dash" so much as I do the guy that was running it.

With Marty as the point man on the search, our chances of getting it right were...limited.

I trust Fitterer and Morgan way better.

[Waldo]

Hopefully by the time that deadline approached everyone with 2 braincells to rub together will know that Rhule is not the answer and we can get the search started.

I can't imagine any pitch where a 3rd year doesn't result in PSL payments going into default. It's that bad in Pantherland.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Waldo

[Mr. Scot]

In any case, this is no longer a hypothetical.

There are a couple of guys on staff in Jacksonville who have ties to Nathaniel Hackett so I won't be too surprised if they go after him.

[blackcat]

Judging from how he kept Hurney around for too long, I think he gives Rhule another year with the caveat that Rhule and Fitt focus on nothing but OL.  Tepper has shown he's involved (ie, bringing Cam back), so it would shock me if he didn't dictate that OL and nothing but OL should be the focus.