The Carolina Panthers' three-decade history in the league has come with plenty of ups and downs. There have been some memorable moments throughout the team's existence. There have also been some cataclysmic errors that remain embodied in the organization's fabric.
Overall, the Panthers haven't had much luck on the head coaching front. Aside from John Fox and Ron Rivera, it's been a middling list of big-money flops and coaches who never came close to meeting expectations. Arguably, the most disappointing of all was George Seifert.
Seifert's credentials needed no introduction upon joining the Panthers in 1999. He was a two-time Super Bowl winner with the San Francisco 49ers, never losing more than six games in a single season and always finishing above .500 over his eight-year tenure from 1989 to 1996.
George Seifert's time with the Carolina Panthers was disastrous
After three years away from the game, Seifert returned to lead the Panthers in 1999. It was seen as a significant coup for the organization, which started well but tailed off equally as dramatically in its first few seasons. Having such an accomplished coach to spearhead the project raised expectations to levels this team was incapable of matching.
Things started well enough for Seibert, going 8-8 in his first season. It might not have seemed like much, but it was a major step in the right direction for Carolina. Unfortunately for the coach and the franchise, it didn't take long for things to unravel.
A moribund 7-9 campaign followed. But that was only the start of things to come as the Panthers went 1-15 in 2001, which remains among the worst seasons in franchise history by a considerable margin.
Seifert was inevitably fired by Jerry Richardson after that, despite claiming he planned to be back in 2002. He never got a head coaching gig again.
Since Seifert's departure, only the incompetent Matt Rhule and Frank Reich have failed to coach a playoff game or have a winning season as Panthers head coach. That's not great company to be in.
Hiring Seifert was a risk worth taking. But the game had passed him by, and there was no juice left to turn things around.
Not having the courage to stick with quarterback Steve Beuerlein over 1999 signing Jeff Lewis started the freefall. This eventually led to the Panthers drafting aging prospect Chris Weinke to be their franchise savior. That also failed miserably.
It wasn't all bad. Seifert was partly responsible for drafting players like wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and defensive lineman Kris Jenkins. However, tight end Wesley Walls' revelation about their coach deserting them in a time of need meant this was only going to end one way.
Hopefully, Dave Canales can avoid a similar fate.