Dave Canales has been named the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-year offensive coordinator has a deal to become a member of the Panthers’ staff after assisting in reviving quarterback Baker Mayfield’s career and the offence in 2023. Canales played play-calling for Pete Carroll’s Seahawks for thirteen seasons before moving to Tampa Bay. Eventually, he was elevated to the position of passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Seattle, where he helped Geno Smith have a breakthrough season that won him NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

This previous season, under his guidance, Mayfield set career-highs in throwing yards, touchdowns, completion %, and completion percentage. With Canales in charge, the offence witnessed increases in time of possession, net yards per pass attempt, passing touchdowns, turnover margin, point differential, and third and fourth down conversion rates in 2023.

Panthers hire Dave Canales as new head coach: Buccaneers offensive coordinator joining NFC South rival

According to Panthers owner David Tepper, he hopes the next head coach to serve for “20 or 30 years.” And now that the Panthers have declared their agreement to terms with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales, he’s found the right guy for the job. According to CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, Canales, 42, pleased Tepper and Panthers staff during an in-person interview on Wednesday. The choice was made in the midst of a thorough search that included interviews with other elite contenders including Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and one day after former Titans coach Mike Vrabel was connected to the Panthers opening.

Canales, a 2023 first-round pick from Harbor City, California, oversaw quarterback Baker Mayfield’s career rebirth and helped the Bucs win the NFC South for the third season in a row. The Bucs advanced to the playoffs, where they stunned the Eagles, the reigning NFC champions, in the wild-card round. Canales had been with the Seahawks for 13 years prior to that, serving as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2017 and the quarterbacks coach from 2018 to 2019 and 2022. (2020-2021).

Working closely with nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson in Seattle under veteran coach Pete Carroll, Canales oversaw the passing game when Wilson had some of his greatest performances. He’ll be in Carolina to support 2023 No. 1 selection Bryce Young, whose poor rookie campaign apparently contributed to the mid-season firing of former coach Frank Reich.

Canales to become Panthers’ fourth full-time head coach since 2019

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Carolina Panthers have agreed to name offensive coordinator Dave Canales of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their new head coach. Canales has let the Buccaneers know that he is accepting the position, but more work needs to be done before the announcement is made official. Canales is set to become the eighth head coach since David Tepper assumed ownership in 2018. The Panthers, who finished 2-15 in the previous campaign and lack a first-round draught pick in 2024, are the squad he inherits.

The Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Commanders are the three clubs who are still without a head coach as a result of the transfer. The 42-year-old Canales, who served as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, has had a rapid climb culminating with this employment. Dan Morgan, who was recently appointed as the Panthers general manager and president of football operations, was his boss throughout his 13-year tenure in Seattle. General manager Scott Fitterer was replaced by Morgan following the season.

Canales began his career in 2010 as the wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks, a position he held for eight seasons until the team’s 2013 Super Bowl victory. Before being hired by the Buccaneers last year, he worked with Russell Wilson as the team’s quarterbacks coach for three more seasons. He also served as the passing game coordinator for two of those seasons. Canales, in his first and only season as an NFL offensive coordinator, assisted the Bucs with Baker Mayfield as quarterback to the NFC divisional playoffs.

Canales will be in charge of quarterback Bryce Young’s development. Young was a poor rookie and was selected first in the 2023 draught. Young was a starter for barely two seasons, going two and a half without a touchdown throw and averaging less than 180 yards per game with ten interceptions. Tepper could still be affected by Canales’ creation of Mayfield. After having a difficult season with the Panthers in 2022, the 2018 No. 1 overall selection was cut late in the season.

However, he revived his career in Tampa under Canales. During the season, Mayfield completed 64.3% of his passes for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns with 10 interceptions for the Bucs, who finished 9-8 and won the NFC South in the last week of games. In the postseason, Mayfield continued to perform effectively, helping the Bucs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 before falling to the Detroit Lions 31-23 last week. In the postseason, Mayfield completed 62.3 percent of his throws for 686 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. How much patience Tepper has with Canales may be the key question.

After offering Frank Reich a four-year deal, the Panthers sacked him just 11 games into his debut campaign as head coach this year. Since taking over, Tepper has a 31-68 record. He has also dismissed head coaches Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule in the middle of their seasons. Tepper has not been patient with head coaches.

This puts him in a good position to collaborate with Bryce Young, the former first overall selection, and an offensive unit that finished last in the league in 2023. It is anticipated that Canales will keep making play calls. Canales will answer directly to owner David Tepper, just like Morgan does. After previous Panthers coach Ron Rivera, Brian Flores, Tom Flores, and Tom Fears, he becomes the only Hispanic coach in the league currently in operation, the second in team history, and just the fifth in the history of the league.