The Panthers on Monday made the long-awaited decision to fire third-year coach Matt Rhule. His Carolina team dropped to 1-4 this season with a 37-15 loss to the 49ers on Sunday, dropping his career NFL record to 11-27.
In announcing Rhule's firing, the Panthers also named their interim coach for the remainder of the season: Steve Wilks, the team's defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach. The Charlotte, N.C., native will be tasked with guiding Carolina through its remaining 12 games in an attempt to salvage the season or otherwise prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Wilks, 53, is a long-time coach, including the NFL, where he got his first job in 2006 with the Bears. He also was a mainstay on the mid-2010s Panthers, serving in various roles under former coach Ron Rivera from 2012 through 2017. He also has a year of NFL head coaching experience, albeit with less-than-inspiring results.
Panthers owner David Tepper was asked Monday about whether Wilks could possibly shed his interim tag and become the team's permanent head coach.
David Tepper on Steve Wilks potentially taking over full time: “I had a talk with Steve, no promises were made. But if he does an incredible job he’d have to be considered for that.”
— Gabe McDonald (@GabeMcDonald_) October 10, 2022
With Rhule out and Wilks in — for the season, at least — The Sporting News tells you everything you need to know about the coordinator-turned-head coach:
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Who is Steve Wilks?
Wilks played defensive back at Appalachian State from 1987 through 1991 before playing a single season in the AFL's Charlotte Rage in 1993. Following his brief foray into semi-professional football, Wilks began his coaching career as defensive coordinator at Charlotte-based Johnson C. Smith University from 1995 through 1996.
The following year, Wilks served as defensive coordinator at Savannah State in 1997-98 before getting promoted to head coach in 1999. He spent a single season in that role, leading the Tigers to a 5-6 record.
He spent each of the next six years with a different college team, serving as Illinois State defensive backs coach (2000); App State defensive backs coach (2001); East Tennessee State defensive coordinator (2002); Bowling Green defensive backs coach (2003); Notre Dame defensive backs coach (2004); and Washington secondary coach (2005).
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It wasn't until 2006 that Wilks got his first job in the NFL, serving as the defensive backs coach of the Bears for three seasons from 2006-08. Wilks again followed a pattern, holding down that role for three seasons each with the Bears, Chargers (2009-11) and Panthers (2012-14).
Carolina is where Wilks stayed the longest and also where he enjoyed his greatest success as a coach, particularly in 2015, when the Panthers went 15-1 in the regular season amid a run to the Super Bowl.
Following his first three seasons under Rivera, Wilks was elevated to assistant head coach on top of his role as secondary coach for the 2015 and '16 seasons. In 2017, he was promoted from secondary coach to defensive coordinator, generating interest as a potential head coach candidate in the league.
Wilks got that opportunity in 2018, when he replaced the recently retired Bruce Arians as coach of the Cardinals, but he was fired after one season in Arizona. He then spent a year as the Browns' defensive coordinator in 2019 under then-coach Freddie Kitchens; following the latter's firing, he was not retained by Kevin Stefanski.
Wilks did not coach in 2020, returning to the profession in 2021 as Missouri's defensive coordinator. He returned to Carolina for the 2022 season as Rhule's defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach.
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Steve Wilks head coaching record
Wilks has two seasons of head coaching experience, including one in the NFL. Both resulted in losing seasons.
The first came in 1999, with Savannah State. The Tigers went 5-6, and Wilks did not return the following season. He got his second chance as a head coach with the NFL's Cardinals in 2018 following a successful stint as defensive assistant under Rivera.
He led Arizona to a league-worst 3-13 record, a season which included the league's worst scoring offense (14.1 points per game) and 26th-worse scoring defense (26.6 ppg):
Cardinals results under Steve Wilks in 2018
| Team | Outcome |
|---|---|
| vs. Redskins | Redskins 24, Cardinals 6 |
| at Rams | Rams 34, Cardinals 0 |
| vs. Bears | Bears 16, Cardinals 14 |
| vs. Seahawks | Seahawks 20, Cardinals 15 |
| at 49ers | Cardinals 28, 49ers 18 |
| at Vikings | Vikings 27, Cardinals 17 |
| vs. Broncos | Broncos 45, Cardinals 10 |
| vs. 49ers | Cardinals 18, 49ers 15 |
| at Chiefs | Chiefs 26, Cardinals 14 |
| vs. Raiders | Raiders 23, Cardinals 21 |
| at Chargers | Chargers 45, Cardinals 10 |
| at Packers | Cardinals 20, Packers 17 |
| vs. Lions | Lions 17, Cardinals 3 |
| at Falcons | Falcons 40, Cardinals 14 |
| vs. Rams | Rams 31, Cardinals 9 |
| at Seahawks | Seahawks 27 Cardinals 24 |
Wilks' next task will be to improve on his previous efforts for the remainder of the 1-4 Panthers' 2022 season.
