4 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of Week 16 vs. Packers

The New Guy vs. the Old Guy

As for an HC coaching search, will we go after someone young, unknown, and fresh, or someone old and experienced? – Reginald R.

That is a very good question, Reginald. A lot of this will come down to the interview process, who David Tepper and his contingency are requesting to interview, and the style of coaching they're interested in.

It's been made public for quite some time - even going back to the last offseason - that the Carolina Panthers want an offensive-minded coach to lead its franchise. That is the trend of the NFL with coaching hires.

It started with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. It has grown to new heights with Shane Steichen, Nick Sirianni, and Mike McDaniel just to name a few.

There is an argument age doesn't matter in the cases of Doug Pederson, Mike McCarthy, and Andy Reid. All of whom were and are experienced coaches in their 50s or older. However, the Panthers went through that with Frank Reich. That failed miserably this season.

Going with a younger coach, specifically within the 30-40+ range, is likely the direction the Panthers should and will go. It shouldn't matter which side of the ball is the specific philosophy the head coach has, in my opinion.

If it's an offensive-minded coach like Bobby Slowik, great. If it's a defensive-minded coach such as in-house candidate Ejiro Evero, that's fine as well.

While I don't have inside sources about what the Panthers prefer, my personal preference is someone younger, innovative, and who commands the locker room entirely. It could be Slowik, Evero, Ben Johnson, Frank Smith, or Mike Macdonald. At this point, it's "hurry up and wait."