The Carolina Panthers have fired head coach Matt Rhule after 4 losses in their first 5 games.
Rhule, the first NFL coach to be fired this season, went 11-27 with Carolina. The Panthers fell to 1-4 with Sunday’s 37-15 home loss to San Francisco.
Defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks will replace him on an interim basis. The 53-year-old Wilks spent one year as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and six years on the Panthers staff from 2012-17.
The 47-year-old Rhule was lured away from Baylor with a seven-year, guaranteed $62 million contract by David Tepper, the second-wealthiest owner in the NFL.
Tepper was initially patient with Rhule following Sunday’s loss, but grew increasingly agitated and changed his mind on Monday.
Rhule said after the game he didn’t want to discuss his job security because he didn’t want to make it about himself.
Rhule’s teams went 5-11 in 2020 and 5-12 last year.
