Panthers coach Steve Wilks a respected leader among his peers and young coaches
Hall of Famer Tony Dungy easily recognizes coaching excellence.
It took him five minutes to know that Mike Tomlin would be a great coach. Dungy first met a then-29-year-old Tomlin when he hired him as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach in 2001. He understood Tomlin had the leadership, moxie and conviction of a head coach.
Dungy speaks of Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks in a similar light.
But it’s not Wilks’ winning record at Bank of America Stadium or signature victory at Seattle that most impressed Dungy this season. Instead, it was a moment during Wilks’ first game as interim head coach — a 24-10 loss to the Rams — that piqued the Super Bowl champion coach.
“I would go to Robbie Anderson getting sent to the locker room,” Dungy told The Charlotte Observer. “To me, that said a lot. It spoke volumes. (It said) ‘I’m the interim coach, but there’s gonna be a way we do things here. And it doesn’t matter who it is. You’re gonna have to do things the Steve Wilks’ way.’”
Following a 1-4 start and inheriting a 12-week reclamation project, Wilks has forged a hard-nosed, downhill football team that is an extension of his own characteristics and beliefs. The Panthers are still contending for an NFC South title because Wilks understands the parts he’s working with (a talented defense paired with a stout offensive line and below-average quarterback play). Then he formulates an appropriate game plan.
Outside of game day, Wilks is considered a firm leader who commands the team like a CEO. According to a league source, Wilks is a strong communicator internally with players, coaches and the front office, and he handles the media well. The Charlotte Observer reported in November that Wilks has internal support within the franchise. That support hasn’t wavered, as the Panthers continue on their improbable playoff push.
Moments like sending Anderson to the locker room (the team traded Anderson to Arizona hours later for multiple late-round draft picks) or owner David Tepper awarding Wilks a game ball after Carolina upset the Buccaneers in Week 7, highlight his tangible achievements.
“There is momentum to keep Steve in the building,” a league source told The Observer. “I think the team has plans to keep him around.”
As his three-month head coaching tryout nears its end, Dungy said there should be enough evidence — beyond just wins and losses — for Tepper to decide if Wilks is “the guy” or not.
‘He texts me back in two minutes every time’
Wofford defensive line coach Bryan Bing credits Wilks for his peace of mind.
Bing — a young coach who spent multiple seasons as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh — used to wonder about his place in the coaching profession. Like most new coaches, Bing worried his early mornings and late nights would go unnoticed.
Being a major Division I or NFL coach takes a lifetime of dedication. For youth looking for that opportunity, coaching can be a lonely, tedious process. Every day looks the same though no two problems are identical. Your mind is buried in practice plans, game film, depth charts, and football from August through January. By the time the season concludes, it’s difficult for lower-ranking coaches to know if their contributions will materialize into promotions.
But Wilks alleviated such anxieties with one conversation.
“What he told me was, ‘You got to continue to just be where your feet are. Continue to do a good job where are you at,’ ” Bing said. “He told me, ‘Just work. You don’t have to worry about what the next job is. You just got to continue to do a good job.’ ”
Bing first connected with Wilks when he was a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh. There he helped the Panthers’ defense finish first in sacks and tackles for loss. Senior defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver each earned consensus All-America status and were both NFL draft picks. Pittsburgh’s 2019 defense ranked first in the nation in total defense and sacks.
Those experiences combined with Wilks’ guidance have shaped Bing into a rising coach in the industry.
“Being a young coach, everybody just wants to get the top job and work their way up as fast as possible, but (Wilks taught me) that it’s gonna take time,” Bing said. “He’s taught me to pour into others the same way he does.”
Wilks is a mentor to the next generation of coaches. He champions up-and-coming coordinators like Pep Hamilton (Texans) and Aaron Glenn (Lions) while simultaneously guiding young college coaches like Bing.
While the league trends toward Sean McVay-esque coaches, Wilks shoulders pushing innovators of his demographic into league circles, a league source told The Observer. One source familiar with hiring practices around the league said Wilks serves as a connector between “established black coaches and the next generation.”
‘A hard-nosed team’
Last week the Panthers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-16. To win, Tomlin — the Steelers’ coach — formulated a pointed and methodical game plan.
“I got a lot of respect for (Steve Wilks) as a coach and as a coaching peer,” Tomlin said after the game. “(I respect) what they’re trying to get done. It’s a difficult time.”
He told Steelers players to prepare for a trench battle between both fronts. All week leading up to the game, Tomlin emphasized beating the Panthers would take a punch-first mindset.
“That is a hard-nosed team that comes ready to play,” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “I thought they came in with a mindset to be an attacking football team, and I commend them for that.”
The Steelers understood beating Carolina would take physicality and discipline.
“We were preparing to come after them,” running back Najee Harris said. “We felt like it was going to be a dog fight between grit-on-grit. Our line versus theirs.”
The Steelers won that fight. Wilks went toe-to-toe with one of the NFL’s most consistent franchises and it took a historic 21-play drive and the Steelers’ season-best 75% third-down conversion rate to lose.
The Panthers are a young team, with a median roster age of 26, which is seventh-youngest in the NFL compared to the Steelers’ highest-paid NFL defense, which is led by 33-year-old Heyward and T.J. Watt, the league’s top-paid defensive player.
Carolina bounced back on Saturday, setting a franchise record for total yards and rushing yards in a single game, in a dominant 37-23 victory against the Detroit Lions.
If Tomlin is the standard, then Wilks is next in line.
Tomlin, Wilks and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores (now the Steelers’ linebacker coach) all shared the field last Sunday. In April, Wilks — a West Charlotte High alum who previously served as the Arizona Cardinals head coach in 2018 — joined Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL, which accuses the league of using racial discrimination in its hiring practices.
Since his hiring, Wilks has declined to elaborate on both his time in Arizona or the lawsuit. Dungy, however, believes both circumstances have made Wilks a better coach.
“When you get your first head-coaching job, you think you’re ready. You think you are prepared and then things come up that you never even think about. So that second time around, not as many things catch you by surprise,” Dungy said. “And (since the lawsuit), what they’ve done is coach their teams, and forget about the off the field. I admire these guys. They basically said, ‘This is not about my career, I’m going to do something to try to benefit a large number of people.’ ’’
‘Demands preparation, earns respect’
Wilks coaches with an authentic style that players rally behind and coaches naturally respect.
“Steve cares about his players. He demands a certain level of preparation and play from them, but he does it in a way that they know he will put them in the best position to be successful,” Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said. “Like any good coach, the players know that Steve cares about them as people first.”
After Arizona, Wilks spent one season as the Browns’ defensive coordinator under then-head coach Freddie Kitchens. While in Cleveland, Wilks schemed the defense to finish 17th in turnover percentage, 16th in touchdowns allowed and 12th in yards per play.
Priefer said he did not know Wilks before 2019, but it was quickly evident he excelled at motivating and then maximizing his player’s spirits.
“He’s an outstanding football coach who commands respect as soon as he enters a room,” Priefer said. “He is smart and engaging. (He) has a tremendous work ethic and players play hard for him.”
Wilks’ ability to cultivate preparation is embedded in his Carolina roots. A 1991 graduate of Appalachian State, Wilks coached on Ron Rivera’s staff from 2012 to 2017. In that time, he coordinated several historic Panthers defenses led by linebackers Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson.
“Wilks is bringing back what the Carolina Panthers used to be. The philosophy of what used to be around here,” Thompson said in November. “Since I’ve been here, it’s always been fast, physical and creating turnovers. (It’s the) defense getting off the field. Linebackers (going) downhill and the (defensive backs) catching interceptions. I think guys are starting to understand what the history around here used to be.”
Wilks helped Carolina win three consecutive NFC South crowns from 2013 to 2015. Similar energy is circulating through the organization again as the Panthers have a chance to host a home playoff game.
Carolina still has a couple of games left in the 2022 season. Whatever happens next will not change the respect Wilks’ peers have for him or his value to the next generation of coaches.
“If (David Tepper) were considering Steve Wilks, this is the best interview you can have,” Dungy said. “You’re gonna know a lot more about him than you know about any other candidate. You’re going to get to see decisions made in the crucible of fire. To me, he’s done a great job with the atmosphere around the team and how the team is playing. He’s done great.”
This story was originally published December 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
