Getty Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers watches action during a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field on August 16, 2018 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Talk about Mike McCarthy’s impending return to the NFL is starting to become a little bit more than just talk.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Carolina Panthers interviewed the former Green Bay Packers coach for their head-coaching vacancy after Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Panthers fired longtime head coach Ron Rivera at the beginning of the month and immediately began their search process for his replacement, but this latest news marks the first time a named candidate has been mentioned for the job.
Panthers interviewed former Packers’ HC Mike McCarthy for their head-coaching job after their game against the Colts on Sunday, per league sources. Panthers declined comment on the coaching search.
McCarthy has been on the outside of the league since the Packers fired him on Dec. 2, 2018, ending his time in charge just short of 13 seasons. He was known for being an offensive-minded coach during that time, playing a major role in the development of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and coaching the team to a Super Bowl championship after the 2010 season.
While McCarthy’s tenure ended in a dramatic and disappointing fashion, the veteran coach took his year away to reassess his coaching philosophies and to evaluate the film on all 32 teams to take a “360-degree view of the National Football League and what it takes to be successful.” All of his work has been in the service of making a return to the league in 2020 with a new team and a fresh start.
Panthers coach David Tepper hasn’t tipped his hand about what type of coach he is hoping to find in his search beyond a desire to blend old-school and new-age style, but McCarthy would certainly be for a departure from Rivera’s defensive stylings.
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McCarthy Has Expectedly Improved Playbook
One of the biggest criticisms of McCarthy in his final years with Green Bay was his unimaginative playbook, which is something he has indirectly acknowledged when speaking about how his year outside of the league has helped broaden his perspective. So, it stands to reason his interview with the Panthers — whether it was with Tepper or general manager Marty Hurney or both — discussed his changes at some length.
McCarthy would once again be responsible for ushering in a new era of football for an organization after the Packers brought him in to transition the team from Hall of Famer Brett Favre to Rodgers without taking his foot off the pedal in terms of success. He was largely successful, winning 62 percent of his 125 games for the Packers, but the Panthers would be something much different.
Not only would McCarthy face — and have some say in — an uncertain situation at the quarterback position, but his choices are also very different players from Rodgers, especially injured starter Cam Newton. The offensive strategies that worked with Rodgers would need a complete overhaul to make the most of a quarterback as gifted as Netwon on his feet.
The issues are more experienced-based when it comes to the other quarterback options, Kyle Allen and Will Grier, who have found little to no success throughout this season as the fill-ins for Newton.
McCarthy has made it perfectly clear he isn’t looking to join with any team that offers him a position — he turned down the Cleveland Browns last year — so understand any scenario where he ends up in Carolina means he envisions greatness for the Panthers.
“Sustaining success in this league is the biggest challenge,” McCarthy told NFL insider Tom Pelissero. “To do it right and be in the position to win it every year, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I want to be paired with. I’m not just trying to go win one. I’m looking to win them all.”
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