Things are not going well for the Carolina Panthers, and some within the organization may be cautioning one of the offseason’s top head-coaching candidates to stay away.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, staff within the team have texted Detriot Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson “about how complicated it has been” working for the Panthers this season.
While many expect Johnson to be one of the most sought-after assistants this offseason, the news is especially concerning for the Panthers since he may be owner David Tepper’s top choice to replace the recently fired Frank Reich. Per Russini, after a failed attempt last offseason, Tepper will again try to “lure” Johnson away from the Lions.
The fact that some within the Panthers may be outwardly warning a prospective head coach about joining the franchise is alarming but not surprising, considering the team’s state.
However, the job may be unattractive enough on its own due to Tepper’s propensity for firing head coaches. The Panthers are on their sixth head coach, including interims, since Tepper purchased the team in 2018. Meanwhile, all that turnover has predictably led to minimal success at best, with the Panthers failing to post a winning record (30-63) or earn a playoff berth during the Tepper era.
Someone will have to coach the Panthers, and whoever it ends up being will make a boatload of cash doing so, regardless of how they fare. Despite their short time in Carolina, Matt Rhule (38 games) and Reich (11 games) took home buyouts of $40 and $27 million after getting canned, respectively.
If Johnson to the Panthers doesn’t work out, there’s a growing list of potential prospects, some more believable than others. With a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the group of candidates ranges from utterly ridiculous to mildly intriguing. However, the coach that ultimately signs on the dotted line has one heck of a hill to climb to avoid a fate similar to Rhule, Reich, and others.
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