Even if he’s not the permanent, full-time head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Steven Bernard Wilks will always be a part of the black and blue family.
On Thursday, the team delivered some disheartening news to the 53-year-old Charlotte native—as Frank Reich was hired to lead the team for 2023 and beyond. So after one heck of a ride in his interim tenure during a tumultuous 2022 campaign, the Panthers parted ways with Wilks—who first received the message in a call from owner David Tepper.
This morning, Wilks—the class act that he is—sent a message right back to the Panthers, their fans, his friends, family and the entire Carolina community.
— Steve Wilks (@ScoreonD) January 27, 2023
After taking the place of Matt Rhule five weeks into this past season, Wilks revived a team that was widely believed to be dead and buried. The Panthers, without star running back Christian McCaffrey in 11 of them, went a relatively impressive 6-6 in their 12 games under Wilks—falling just one game shy of their first NFC South title in seven years.
Now, Wilks moves on from his hometown, intending to continue coaching elsewhere. We may not know exactly where he winds up as of yet, but we do know that he’ll keep on winning the day—as he always does.
