Steve Wilks was essentially the runner-up for the Carolina Panthers head coach position, and he is already preparing for his future after not landing the job.
The Panthers announced the hiring of Frank Reich as head coach on Thursday, leaving Wilks without a role. He guided the Panthers to a 6-6 finish as interim coach last season, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he intends to move on and look for other options now.
Albert Breer of The MMQB had suggested that the Panthers’ ideal scenario would be to have Reich and Wilks on the same staff, but Wilks was unlikely to ever accept what amounted to a demotion after serving as interim head coach.
When the Panthers gave Wilks the interim job, they did not really seem to expect him to be a strong candidate for the permanent role. The team’s significant improvement during his stint certainly made them think about it, and Wilks has reason to feel like he did enough to earn the role. The upside is that his efforts have definitely boosted his profile across the league, and while it will be too late this cycle, more head coaching looks could be in his future.
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