4 critical observations from the Carolina Panthers firing Matt Rhule
By Luke Gray
Matt Rhule gave the Carolina Panthers no choice
It was always inevitable.
The Carolina Panthers announced on Monday they had parted ways with head coach Matt Rhule. An 11-27 record was never going to translate to a long career in the league.
This recent loss for Rhule was clearly the last straw for David Tepper. A 37-15 blowout reverse against the San Francisco 49ers at a half-empty Bank of America Stadium filled with visiting fans was the apparent straw that broke the camel’s back, with the billionaire also citing a lack of intensity as another reason behind the decision.
"“There’s numerous reasons why you make a decision. Might have been a little bit of lost intensity on the field yesterday, which was different from the first four games.”"
It was blatantly obvious to all that Rhule was hugely out of his depth making the step up to the NFL. There’s no shame in things not working out – even the greatest college coach of all time Nick Saban couldn’t cut it at the next level.
With Rhule gone and Steve Wilks in interim charge, this opens the door for the respected program builder to take one of the college jobs available. Moving forward for the Panthers, it will be interesting to see if this firing will have any effect on performances starting with a visit to the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 6.