Carolina Panthers arranged marriage idea shows David Tepper has learned nothing

A reported plan for the Carolina Panthers staffing structure proves that team owner David Tepper doesn't plan to stop meddling in football matters.

David Tepper is impulsive and egotistical. Some owners like to sit back and oversee everything from afar, allowing the football men to get on with things as they see fit. Unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers, they don't have one of them.

Tepper likes to be front and center. He's overbearing. He's trigger-happy. He wants everything right now rather than adopting a patient approach. Looking at his latest reported plan, the billionaire has learned nothing.

Carolina Panthers want to pair new head coach with Ejiro Evero

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, many around the league think Tepper is intrigued by the prospect of pairing a new offensive-minded head coach with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Something that's brought some success around the league without being the typical approach.

"Something to monitor in Carolina is the potential of pairing a first-time offensive head coach with current defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. After asking around, the sense is the Panthers are at least intrigued by this idea. Evero has done an impressive job with the Panthers' defense, which ranks third in total defense and passing defense despite minimal offensive help and a rash of injuries. He will most likely be on the head-coaching interview circuit and could interview in-house with Carolina, but with him under contract with the Panthers, he's an asset they'd like to keep should they focus on offense with their coaching search, as most expect."

- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN via Bleacher Report

This report doesn't mention the future of general manager Scott Fitterer, which is under a cloud. If a new front office leader comes into the fold, surely he'll want the chance to choose his head coach. Someone they can form or already have a close working relationship with in pursuit of turning the Panthers around.

Instead, Tepper is forcing the issue. If he has his way and this report is accurate, the hedge fund manager is intent on yet another arranged marriage rather than letting chemistry blossom naturally.

One also has to beg this question…

If Tepper loves Evero so much, why doesn't he make him head coach?

Evero's worked miracles with Carolina's defense this season. Almost every established star has spent time on the sidelines through injury at some stage. And yet, he's made this unit one of the league's most surprising in terms of productivity.

Very few coaches have emerged from the current campaign with any credit. Evero fits into this category. One could even make a case for the defensive guru strengthening his head coaching credentials thanks to the way he's got this unit humming with the odds stacked against them.

He'll likely get an interview in Carolina. Evero is more than qualified to take over. However, we all know Tepper often becomes enamored with the shiny new toy rather than being satisfied with what he already has in the palm of his hand.

Evero could get a top gig elsewhere. If he gets looked over by the Panthers, the coordinator won't want to stick around under a new head coach bringing in his ideas on how best to take the franchise forward. This is similar to Steve Wilks' feelings after he didn't do enough to convince the Panthers he was capable of leading this organization back to prominence.

Decide Fitterer's future first. Hire a general manager. Let him pick the head coach. Just stay out of the way for the love of all that is holy.

Just how much worse it has to get before Tepper realizes he's the major problem is anyone's guess. Billionaires are used to having things their way. But the NFL is a different beast entirely.

We'll see what happens with the Panthers but for now, you can claim a $150 bonus from FanDuel Sportsbook for picking ANY NFL Week 16 winner! Just bet $5 or more (with a $10 deposit) on any team to win and you'll get $150 in bonus bets if you're right. Sign up for FanDuel now!