Panthers to hire Dave Canales as seventh Head Coach

A surprise move as the Panthers focus on building around Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly close to hiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales as the seventh full time Head Coach in franchise history.

Canales only has one year’s experience calling plays as the Bucs offensive coordinator, but he drew a lot of attention in that year. He took over an offense that replaced Tom Brady with Baker Mayfield and oversaw its improvement in multiple statistical categories.

He previously was a wide receivers and quarterbacks coach as well as passing game coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, rising in the ranks under Pete Carroll from 2010 to 2022. His time in Seattle coincided with some of Russell Wilson’s best years, the development of guys like Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, and a break out year for quarterback Geno Smith.

Between Smith and Mayfield, Canales has a track record of turning around quarterbacks that everyone else had given up on and taking them to the playoffs in a single year.

His connection with newly promoted General Manager Dan Morgan from their time with the Seahawks and the first experience the 2023 Panthers had watching Canales’ offense twice probably contributed to the speed of this hire. So much for Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Joe Person, and the idea of the team being patient.

This will be Canales’ first time serving as a head coach since his first year in coaching, when was the head coach/offensive coordinator of his high school alma mater’s freshman/sophomore team in 2004.

The 42 year old coach brings a combination of youth and successful experience that will at least be new for the Panthers. Here’s to hoping that it will also be some degree of successful.