CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Now that the seemingly inevitable has happened with the Carolina Panthers firing head coach Matt Rhule, it's up to longtime assistant Steve Wilks to pick up the pieces as the interim coach.
Wilks, a Charlotte native who spent six seasons with the Panthers under Ron Rivera, has NFL head coaching experience and is well-respected among players in the locker room and across the league. Eugene Robinson, a former Panthers safety and color commentator with the Panthers Radio Network, believes Wilks has what it takes to lead the team during this tumultuous time.
"People know him, the players know him," Robinson said. "He was one of our architects of our defense that top 10 defense. I think that transition's going to be easier because of his experience."
Robinson said when he was playing in Seattle, he met Wilks at a training camp. All these years later, Robinson said Wilks' coaching style is suited to today's players.
"He's in your face but he's not in your face. He rebukes you, but he does it in a way that doesn't demean you," Robinson said.
Sunday's 37-15 loss to the 49ers proved to be Rhule's last chance to turn things around. A crowd that looked like a San Francisco home game in Uptown Charlotte was a sign that Panthers fans lost faith in Rhule.
He was still popular with several of his players despite the team's struggles in his third full season. Christian McCaffrey and Brian Burns both said it was up to the players to execute. Baker Mayfield also said players have to perform, saying Rhule couldn't do that for them.
"Typically, the players are right in this regard," Robinson said. "Players play and coaches put up a strategy. It has to fall on someone. Who are you putting in charge? Who are the guys you're mobilizing on the field? And that's why that change is something that's needed, whether you like it or not, that's what we all signed up for in the National Football League."
It's difficult to say whether Wilks will be named the permanent head coach, but he'll have 12 games to prove he's at least a serious candidate. Robinson says it would be wise for owner David Tepper to consider him.
"Defensively, we're really good and he's one of the guys who's responsible," Robinson said. "Guys know him, guys like him and guys respect him. That's a big thing. It's no good to have a coaching change happen in the middle of the season, but sometimes it has to happen."
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