Did Matt Rhule even really want to be coach of the Panthers?

[hepcat]

I really wonder if Matt Rhule even really wanted to be head coach of the Panthers in the first place. Everyone should know it’s basic job interview 101 to not be to eager or act too desperate to take a job. I mean if you gotta offer a guy a top 10 coaching salary before he’s coached a single NFL game, maybe that’s not a good fit?

Tepper guaranteed Rhule so much money that he would be eating tens of millions to rip up his contact, after he basically begged Matt to uproot his family from a comfortable gig in Waco and move to Charlotte. He hand picked Rhule to come save his shiny new franchise from “mediocrity” and now it’s not working out, but damn, I do wonder if Tepper just feels bad booting the guy he begged to coach his team out of town. 

No wonder he hasn’t said a word to the fans. It’s legitimately embarrassing and I doubt David has ever been in a situation in his life where he’s made such an expensive, public mistake. I doubt Matt really wanted this job in the first place. 

[OneBadCat]

I'm not understanding why he was so highly coveted at the time. His record isn't that good.

[RumHam]

we are stuck with rhule until year 5. he's not going to lose out on that much money

[FuFuLamePoo]

4 minutes ago, RumHam said:

we are stuck with rhule until year 5. he's not going to lose out on that much money

Lmfao no we aren’t

[mav1234]

11 minutes ago, RumHam said:

we are stuck with rhule until year 5. he's not going to lose out on that much money

Not unless Rhule does very well next year we aren't. He has to make the playoffs or I bet he's fired next year (barring something like an injury to the QB torpedoing a great offense)

[TLGPanthersFan]

I remember reading that Rhule went to the Giants to see if they would match Tepper. Giants ownership said no and probably laughed at the stupidity of it. 

[Biscuit]

8 hours ago, TLGPanthersFan said:

I remember reading that Rhule went to the Giants to see if they would match Tepper. Giants ownership said no and probably laughed at the stupidity of it. 

That never set right with me. He came across as a straight up mercenary. I get everyone factors in the bottom line, but, he wasn't excited about coaching our team or looking for the best fit, he went to the highest bidder. I am surprised he didn't refer to us as the North Carolina Panthers in his first press conference.

[LinvilleGorge]

He wanted an NFL gig on his terms where he called all the football shots on the organization. Tepper was the only person dumb enough to even consider it. And he gave him a record setting contract to boot.

 

[mrcompletely11]

9 hours ago, OneBadCat said:

I'm not understanding why he was so highly coveted at the time. His record isn't that good.

In his interview he leaned into analytics, nutrition, getting the most out his players, athletic evaluations etc.  None of that has carried over

[matt rhules gut fat]

Rhule takes dumps on Cam Newton jerseys and gets paid like a super bowl winning coach doing it of course he doesn’t care about this franchise.

[LinvilleGorge]

3 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

In his interview he leaned into analytics, nutrition, getting the most out his players, athletic evaluations etc.  None of that has carried over

Sure it has. Analytics and athletic evaluations caused him to pass on an All-Pro rookie LT because his arms were an inch too short and try like hell not to play our own rookie OL at LT for the same reason despite him clearly being the best option available.

[mrcompletely11]

Just now, LinvilleGorge said:

Sure it has. Analytics and athletic evaluations caused him to pass on an All-Pro rookie LT because his arms were an inch too short and try like hell not to play our own rookie OL at LT for the same reason despite him clearly being the best option available.

you're not wrong

[Waldo]

Probably sure. He obviously knew little about the NFL so that's fun. I get the angle and I'm sure it's part of the bigger mess but everything about Rhule's ego led him to belive he could do here what he did in some blah level school programs. The money just made it an easy mistake to make.

Now I wonder if even decent schools would be like 'hard pass'. Yes I understand how easy it is to get a HC position somewhere at that level but it would be hilarious if he had to go back to the bottom to get back to his middling level of coaching before here.

[Khyber53]

Folks, he interviewed really well for a job he wasn't qualified for, but didn't know he wasn't. He was given big bucks for his potential, his plan that was laid out, the overall spirit in the room at the time and, most importantly, because it was a competitive environment where there was a very, very good chance they could lose what appeared to be a shining candidate to a competitor.

It happens. It happens every day in the real world, too.

Moving too fast and making too many decisions under the pressure to get first dibs on the best coach available created this problem. There's every chance that right now, Tepper is taking his time with this, to see who Rhule will be bringing on board and if there are changes that will be made. I'd expect within the next two weeks, Rhule will present who those coaches are who have agreed to the jobs and Tepper will then decide if this is moving in the right direction. He could be sold, once again, on Rhule's rhetoric and coaching staff choices. Or he could decide this is a lackluster group (because pickings are going to be slim in this environment) and he could let Rhule go.

If he let's Rhule go, then we are late getting into the coaching search. That may not be a bad thing. Bad teams with bad management often rush to hire the hot candidates. They then repeat the process again and again, because they keep making bad choices. Do you think Houston will hire the best guy? Or that Miami will suddenly smarten up? That Elway will make the right choice again in Denver? History says they won't because they always grab the wrong candidates. So, let them make those first choices. Then look at who is left, who really wants to get in here, who really has not just the resume but the respect. Andy Reid was looking for a job when the Chiefs went after him. Heck, Belichick was too when the Patriots needed a new coach and he wasn't a high choice on anyone's list after the Browns debacle.

I'm gonna be patient, because that's all we can do. But I think we should know in two weeks where things are headed. I still haven't seen Tepper come out and publicly say Rhule is our guy yet in light of all the uproar in the fanbase.