The Carolina Panthers lost their final eight games of the 2019 season, going from a playoff contender to last place in the NFC South at 5-11. They needed a winner to take over the coaching job after they fired head coach Ron Rivera mid-season, as the veteran coach has since moved on to the Washington Redskins. And they got a winner from the college level, who was a popular choice for the numerous teams looking for a new coach this off-season. The Panthers agreed to bring in Baylor Bears head coach Matt Rhule as their next head coach, giving him a seven-year contract that is worth $60 million The deal can reach $70 million with incentives included.
This is a major upgrade in pay for Rhule, who made just $4.1 million with the Bears this past season, and the Panthers paid $6 million of a buyout to make this happen. The hiring was announced on Tuesday, one day before Rhule was scheduled to meet with the New York Giants. That forced the Giants to go with a lesser-known name in the New England Patriots wide receivers coach Joe Judge.
The Panthers met with Rhule at his home in Waco, Texas, as he was coming off a bowl win for his Bears over the Georgia Bulldogs a couple weeks ago. He has been a man that is known for turning teams around quickly, as he previously took Ole Miss to 10-2 by his third season. Rhule did the same with Baylor, who finished 11-3 this past season in his third year, as they were 1-11 when he arrived. And he took over the Baylor gig on uneasy circumstances, as he took Art Briles' job in 2016 after a sexual assault scandal. He now takes over a Panthers team that has lost since reaching the Super Bowl in a 2015 loss to the Denver Broncos.
This is a major upgrade in pay for Rhule, who made just $4.1 million with the Bears this past season, and the Panthers paid $6 million of a buyout to make this happen. The hiring was announced on Tuesday, one day before Rhule was scheduled to meet with the New York Giants. That forced the Giants to go with a lesser-known name in the New England Patriots wide receivers coach Joe Judge.
The Panthers met with Rhule at his home in Waco, Texas, as he was coming off a bowl win for his Bears over the Georgia Bulldogs a couple weeks ago. He has been a man that is known for turning teams around quickly, as he previously took Ole Miss to 10-2 by his third season. Rhule did the same with Baylor, who finished 11-3 this past season in his third year, as they were 1-11 when he arrived. And he took over the Baylor gig on uneasy circumstances, as he took Art Briles' job in 2016 after a sexual assault scandal. He now takes over a Panthers team that has lost since reaching the Super Bowl in a 2015 loss to the Denver Broncos.
