5 culture-shifting head coaches who could transform the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could hire Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy is a no-nonsense coach who demands a lot from his players. This isn't to everyone's taste, but one only has to look at his generated success to see what could be accomplished if everyone gets on the same page.
Bieniemy took a leap of faith this offseason when he left the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs to join the Washington Commanders. Ron Rivera gave him responsibilities in keeping with those in top jobs around the league, but some within the organization have yet to take kindly to approach.
As someone who also covers the Commanders, this is primarily down to the roster's soft underbelly rather than anything Bieniemy is doing out of the ordinary. He was brought in to shake things up - something he's done effectively while also aiding the development of quarterback Sam Howell during his transition to a starting job.
A culture-shifter may need more head coaching experience. But if Bieniemy adopted a similar approach with the Carolina Panthers, it would weed out the weak, represent a commitment to excellence, and hopefully keep team owner David Tepper at arm's length.
Had Tepper pulled the trigger with Bieniemy before becoming weirdly infatuated with Matt Rhule in 2020, the Panthers probably wouldn't be the league's laughing stock right now. However, there's no telling for such considering the billionaire's influence on football matters and inability to do what's right by the franchise.