Assistant coaches on playoff teams with bye weeks are allowed to interview this week.
Of course, they can always choose not to.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula doesn’t plan to interview while the team is still alive in the playoffs, preferring to focus on the task at hand.
Shula has only recently gotten back on the coaching radar for his work with the 15-1 Panthers, and anyone interested in him ought to see if he plans to smuggle Cam Newton out the door with him. His previous gigs with Alabama and the Buccaneers did not inspire a following, though he deserves credit for working with a piecemeal receiving corps and tailoring things to Newton’s strengths.
It will be interesting to see if Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott follows the same path, as he has been a viable candidate for jobs previously and could view this as the best window of interest.
If he follows suit and the Panthers end up in the Super Bowl, they run the risk of jobs being filled before they every get around to interviewing for them.