Grading Matt Rhule’s new coaching hires for the Panthers
By Jason Huber
Paul Pasqualoni and Steve Wilks – Carolina Panthers DL and Secondary coaches
- Grade: A
The only coach that Matt Rhule fired on defense this offseason was former defensive line coach Frank Okam. But secondary coach Jason Simmons left for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving open two spots on defense.
Rhule might’ve struck gold with the hire of Steve Wilks to lead the passing game. Wilks returns to the Carolina Panthers after spending 2012-17 with the team and holding the defensive coordinator position in the year before he left for a well-deserved promotion.
Wilks departed the Panthers to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 but was fired after just one season. With the popular figure back in the mix, he’ll bring a plethora of coaching experience to the secondary room that wasn’t awful but should be much better.
It’ll be interesting to see the dynamic between Rhule and Wilks. But fans couldn’t have asked for a better hire.
Rhule added another former head coach in Paul Pasqualoni as the team’s defensive line coach. He has decades of experience in the NFL and college football and was most notably the head coach of Connecticut from 2011-13.
Pasqualoni should bring an old-school tenacity to the defense and should help the line develop more consistency, which is what they lacked the most last season. The only thing that could affect this hire is if the age gap ends up being too much.