CHARLOTTE — With the 2022 season in the books, the Panthers are embarking on the next step in the franchise's history.
The Panthers will transition into the coaching search process on Monday to determine who will lead the team in 2023.
Interim head coach Steve Wilks, who led the team to a 6-6 record after taking over for Matt Rhule in Week 6, will be among the candidates.
To comply with the league's Rooney Rule requirements, the team must still interview two external minority candidates. Those interviews must be in person with the team's decision-makers, and Wilks does not count toward that total.
Beyond that, the Panthers are expected to conduct multiple interviews with other candidates, and league rules have changed the timeline for those.
Teams can't interview coaches employed by other teams until the third day after that team's Week 18 game (meaning Tuesday or Wednesday of this week). Those discussions would have to be done over video conference.
A hiring team can begin in-person interviews as soon as Monday with a coach already on its staff or with coaches not currently employed in the NFL. But in-person interviews with candidates employed by other teams can't be held until the end of the Wild Card round.
For teams involved in the playoffs, assistant coaches can't be interviewed until the third day after the Wild Card round (meaning a window between Jan. 17-19).
