Panthers fire Matt Rhule after 1-4 start; Wilks takes over

Former Baylor head coach Matt Rhule was let go by the Carolina Panthers on Monday, five games into his third consecutive losing season.

At 11-27, Rhule was the first NFL head coach to be let go this season. He leaves Carolina with almost $40 million still owed to him on the seven-year, guaranteed $62 million contract he signed in 2020. The Panthers are now 1-4 after a 37-15 loss against the 49ers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Steve Wilks, the defense’s pass game coordinator and secondary coach, will take over as head coach until the end of the season. Wilks, 53, coached Arizona for a single season in 2018, finishing with a 3-13 record.

Panthers head coach Dabo Swinney also let go of defensive coordinator Phil Snow and special teams assistant coach Ed Foley. At both Temple and Baylor, the two coaches served under Rhule.

On Monday, Rhule was unresponsive to repeated phone calls and texts.

Rhule, then 47 years old, was enticed away from Baylor by David Tepper, the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner, with a contract that was both long and lucrative for a first-year head coach. Unless Rhule finds a new job, Tepper will be responsible for the remaining balance of the agreement. The Panthers’ debt to him would be reduced by the amount of money he earns.