Report: Panthers owner David Tepper, Jim Harbaugh talk about coaching position

USA TODAY Sports

Two of the three teams with 2023 coaching vacancies have expressed interest in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

First, it was the Broncos. Now, it’s the Panthers.

Per multiple reports (including Charlotte Sports Live and the Associated Press), team owner David Tepper has spoken to Harbaugh regarding the vacant head-coaching position.

The Panthers fired Matt Rhule on October 10, less than a month into his third season. Steve Wilks has served as the interim coach. Tepper said upon giving the assignment to Wilks that he would get the position going forward in 2023 if the does an “incredible” job.

Wilks arguably has. But Tepper has seemed to be very interested in waving a magic wand to make his team into a contender, whether by acquiring a franchise quarterback (he has continuously failed in that regard) to hiring a great head coach (he’s 0-for-1 there).

It will be interesting to see whether the Broncos and Panthers both actively pursue Harbaugh, given that the Walton-Penner Wal-Mart conglomerate and Tepper are the two richest ownership groups in the NFL — and there’s no salary cap when it comes to hiring coaches.

42 responses to “Report: Panthers owner David Tepper, Jim Harbaugh talk about coaching position

  1. Is there any legitimate argument against keeping Wilks as the head coach at this point? Could anyone have done better than he has with what he’s had this season?
    If they get rid of him it wouldn’t be the first time a team got rid of an interim coach that brought his team back from the brink. How has that worked out for the Raider though?
    Sometimes it’s best just to not overthink these things.

  2. Why would he go to that dumpster fire? He’s going a an organization with a qb.

  3. I look forward to someone hiring Harbaugh, having a few successful years (but no championships), then having the whole thing crash down because of personality conflicts.

  4. I’d stay at Michigan where you can control the program. In the NFL, you have to rely on there to evaluate and draft the players. Unless you are given complete control over the personnel department, it’s better to stay at Michigan. Bo Schembechler never left Michigan for an NFL job, and he had many opportunities to do so. Nick Saban hasn’t left Alabama. Some of the college jobs are better than most pro jobs. Michigan is one of them. Especially if you’re beating Ohio State every year.

  5. There isn’t a Niner fan anywhere that doesn’t love coach Harbaugh. Jed York set the franchise back five years by inexplicably choosing to keep Trent Baalke instead of him. I hope he gets another shot in the NFL because he 100% deserves it.

  6. Wait I thought he just used the NFL as leverage to negotiate a big long term deal with Michigan last year?

    Jim must have commitment issues

  7. I wonder if Tepper – with his $16 billion – has made a contribution to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive?

  8. Good Lord is his act getting old. Can’t UM see that this ain’t nothing but a good ol’fashion money grab?
    Cut him loose already and let him go coach the sorry-ass Broncos or Panthers. That’s exactly what he deserves.

  9. jamellionsfan says:
    January 4, 2023 at 9:08 am
    Is there any legitimate argument against keeping Wilks as the head coach at this point? Could anyone have done better than he has with what he’s had this season?
    If they get rid of him it wouldn’t be the first time a team got rid of an interim coach that brought his team back from the brink. How has that worked out for the Raider though?
    Sometimes it’s best just to not overthink these things.
    ————————————————
    Has he beat one team that is currently over .500? Darnold is also playing the best he’s ever played. Guess who was the HC in Arizona when Josh Rosen was drafted?

  10. Wilks deserves the job but I knew they would never commit to him for the position. He’s not the right kind of person for the good ol boy network.

  11. The NFL Teams with Owners who act like the team GM are the teams we can expect to call them a Dumpster Fire at some point. It all looks so easy to them. They did it in the business world,.. why not in NFL Football too?
    The smart owners hire an experienced GM to get the job done,… and done right the first time. Tepper needs to step back and let the people who know football get the job done.

  12. Owner doesn’t need money but he could keep Wilks at a bargain price, keep his players happy, have another couple of years of .500 football and find a new coach when he’s stopped paying Matt Rhule to coach at Nebraska.

  13. I’d stay at Michigan where you can control the program. In the NFL, you have to rely on there to evaluate and draft the players. Unless you are given complete control over the personnel department, it’s better to stay at Michigan. Bo Schembechler never left Michigan for an NFL job, and he had many opportunities to do so. Nick Saban hasn’t left Alabama. Some of the college jobs are better than most pro jobs. Michigan is one of them. Especially if you’re beating Ohio State every year.

    *****************************************
    He beat the Buckeyes 2 times in 9 or 10 years. Pay attention.

  14. keep Wilkes, some college coaches should stay in college and for good reason, they are used to having god like powers and ego to go along. the panthers have no qb, and qb prospect in house so they will have to either draft and hope or overpay for an aging free agent qb(like denver did and look at the results there). will there even be any big name qb in free agency other then brady?? also, look at what he did with the 49ers and the kapernick experiment, I am guessing his ego will send him down that same path again to prove he could have been right, but look at all the kapernick type qb’s who have come since him, fun to watch but no real success and that is how it will always be. Look at the great lamar, all show and go but no Sb champion. stay in college, you have to have enough money bye now, why consider 2 dumpster fire teams.

  15. charliecharger says:
    January 4, 2023 at 9:20 am
    I’d stay at Michigan where you can control the program. In the NFL, you have to rely on there to evaluate and draft the players. Unless you are given complete control over the personnel department, it’s better to stay at Michigan. Bo Schembechler never left Michigan for an NFL job, and he had many opportunities to do so. Nick Saban hasn’t left Alabama. Some of the college jobs are better than most pro jobs. Michigan is one of them. Especially if you’re beating Ohio State every year.

    He’s beaten Ohio State twice in nine attempts

  16. Wilks deserves the job and if he doesn’t get it I will be in invariably joyed when the next coach fails.

  17. @ charliecharger

    Saban actually did leave college once, about 20 years ago, for Miami. And he was only “marginally” more successful than Meyer, depending on what you consider a college-to-pro success story to be.

  18. I think Wilks would be a good choice for them. But going 5-6 in the worst division in football isn’t “incredible”. It’s pretty common for a team to start playing harder after a coach is let go. But all that said, I favor teams going with something solid over the flashy wunderkinds who often don’t work out. (For example, the Lions should never have fired Caldwell.) Give Wilks a chance to fill out a staff and see what he’s got.

    As for Harbaugh, I’m thinking he surely has better prospects than this dead-end franchise. Though maybe with a couple good drafts and Tom Brady moving on, they could contend in the near future.

  19. dstegesaurus says:
    January 4, 2023 at 9:27 am
    Wait I thought he just used the NFL as leverage to negotiate a big long term deal with Michigan last year?

    Jim must have commitment issues
    _______________

    Harbaugh doesn’t have to use any type of leverage with Michigan. The school will give him anything he wants after the past two seasons.

  20. What Jim did with Niners with no QB and crappy roster he would be a better fit for Carolina that has draft picks and no one player $50 plus million a year contract to improve the team and Tepper might give him final say (if he wants it) and the rest of NFC South looks far form being competitive. Denver on the other hand lacks draft picks, a NFL capable QB, Chargers and KC, incompetent front office by keeping the guy who solely hired Hackett, traded for Russ then gave him a franchise killing contract if Russ sucks, and with Russ’s $50 plus million a year and his false persona makes it hard to recruit and pay top or even average free agents. Problem with Denver is Russ is a massive anchor that will quickly take down any coach no matter how much they offer unless it is someone like Urban.

  21. He was doing such a lousy job that Michigan made him fire his top assistants and cut his pay made him hire two hand picked young geniuses then and only then did things go right for him at this point he is more a figure head then anything else.
    Bad teams like the Panthers and Broncos keep hiring bad coaches no surprise they like him is it ?

  22. Harbaugh wants the Chicago Bears job. He’ll probably wait until that job becomes available. He could do wonders with Justin Fields.

  23. Harbaugh has had a good career but I’m sure he’d like to come back to the NFL for another shot at a Super Bowl. He’s 59 now and time is running out on the number of opportunities that will come before him.
    I’d like to see him back in the league. He can be a polarizing figure but there’s no arguing with what he did with the 49ers (44-19-1 record). Consider this – Frank Gore said Harbaugh was the best coach he’d ever had when Harbaugh got fired.

  24. Don’t go to Broncos because Russell don’t listen to coaches. That’s why Seahawks coach Pete get rid of him. Look what happen to Seahawks this year because QB Geno listen to coach.

  25. directdriver says:
    The Colts should go after him.
    ———–
    i like this idea. He played QB for the Colts.

  26. josh plum says:
    Wilks deserves the job and if he doesn’t get it I will be in invariably joyed when the next coach fails.
    ============================================
    If Wilks isn’t rewarded the permanent job in Charlotte,.. he’s definitely on a short list for other NFL Head Coach openings. Tepper thinks he’s the GM. He may own the team,.. he’s a billionaire,.. but he hasn’t a clue when it comes to NFL personnel moves. The longer he meddles,.. the longer the team suffers.

  27. Harbaugh would be awesome he is a proven amazing coach. Wilkes has not proven to be as good he did help the Panthers win some games against terrible teams then called a terrible defensive strategy against the Bucs when it matters. I am not against keeping Wilkes but if you have a chance at Harbaugh its a no brainer to explore it.

  28. If there is a bidding war for Harbaugh’s services he will be the highest paid coach in football history. If qb’s can pull down 30 to 40 million a head coach should be able to pull off 25 to 35 million. I’m not kidding.

  29. He is leverage to show Sean Payton we are covering all bases. Payton locked up Fangio, a key coach when Harbaugh was at 49ers. He would struggle for a pro staff this many years out unless he takes from Baltimore staff. Either way, one quick review of his very public views on abortion and overall oddness will have him back in AA for 2023 and another Top 5

  30. Ryan Dubose says:
    January 4, 2023 at 12:35 pm
    Harbaugh would be awesome he is a proven amazing coach. Wilkes has not proven to be as good he did help the Panthers win some games against terrible teams then called a terrible defensive strategy against the Bucs when it matters. I am not against keeping Wilkes but if you have a chance at Harbaugh its a no brainer to explore it. What was Wilkes supposed to do with the Top Corner out? Play Zone? Brady picks that apart. Wilkes gets my vote to get a chance a being a head coach and draft picks to improve his hometown team.

  31. when Saban was at the Miami Dolphins he choose Culpepper over Brees….2 yrs later he was at Alabama…

  32. He should come work for first ballot HOF QB Russell Wilson. He could teach him how to do something he’s never been able to do.

    Win the big one.

  33. Harbaugh is best suited as a college coach. Tepper is going to blow it yet again.

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