Mike McCarthy Favored to Be Panthers Next Head Coach After Week 17; See Odds for All Contenders
- Ex-Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy is the +250 favorite to be the next coach of the Carolina Panthers
- Published reports indicate that McCarthy and the Panthers have already met twice to discuss the position
- Matt Rhule, Greg Roman, and Josh McDaniels have the next-best odds
Mike McCarthy fits with a lot of the desires that Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper set out on his wish list for the next head coach of the team. Perhaps, then, it shouldn’t be at all surprising that McCarthy is being viewed as the front-runner for the job.
Online betting sites have established the former Green Bay Packers head coach as the +250 favorite to land the Panthers’ coaching gig. McCarthy has already met twice with the team.
Odds to Coach the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, 2020
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mike McCarthy | +250 |
| Greg Roman | +400 |
| Josh McDaniels | +600 |
| Matt Rhule | +600 |
| Perry Fewell | +700 |
| Kevin Stefanski | +700 |
| Brian Daboll | +800 |
| Jay Gruden | +900 |
| Mike LaFleur | +900 |
| Marvin Lewis | +900 |
| Jim Harbaugh | +1600 |
Odds taken Dec. 30.
Robert Saleh, Greg Roman, and Jim Harbaugh each took a turn in leading the odds in this betting market when previous lines were released regarding who would be the next Carolina head coach.
McCarthy Fits What Panthers Seek In Coach
When Ron Rivera was dismissed on Dec. 3rd, after nearly nine years in charge of the Panthers, Tepper was quick to supply a list of what he sought in the team’s next head coach.
Tepper wants a coach who mixes old-school discipline and toughness with modern-age thinking and innovation. He also seemed to be leaning toward someone with a track record as an NFL head coach. A coach with extensive background on the offensive side of the ball was also of interest to him.
Sean Payton: 130-77 record, .628 winning percentage, 6 division titles, 8-6 playoff record, 3 NFC title games, 1 Super Bowl ring
Mike McCarthy: 125-77-2 record, .618 winning percentage, 6 division titles, 10-8 playoff record, 4 NFC title games, 1 Super Bowl ring
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 29, 2019
McCarthy ticks off all those boxes. He was head coach of the Packers from 2006-18. He led Green Bay to six NFC North Division titles, nine postseason appearances, and a win in Super Bowl 45.
Prior to taking the Packers’ head coaching position, McCarthy served as offensive coordinator with both the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers. He handled Green Bay’s play-calling duties for the majority of his tenure as head coach of the club.
McCarthy’s Sudden Line To The Top
In the opening odds on the Panthers coaching position, McCarthy was the eighth betting choice at +1200. Saleh (+500) was the chalk.
The Panthers closed out 2019 with back-to-back, 32-point losses, by far the worst 2-game stretch in team history.
Good luck, Mike McCarthy/Josh McDaniels/Matt Rhule/Greg Roman, et al.— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 29, 2019
In the second betting line on this market, McCarthy was still the eighth betting choice at +1200. Roman (+300) assumed the favorite’s role. At the time of the third betting line being released on Dec. 16, McCarthy had completely vanished from the board. Harbaugh (+300) was the favorite.
Other Carolina Coach Contenders
McCarthy is clearly the one to beat for the job at this point but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be beaten. It’s known that Tepper still wants to speak with several other candidates.
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is on that list. Roman, offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, can’t be discounted at this point, either. As well, Baylor’s Matt Rhule, perhaps the most sought after of the college candidates, is likely to get an interview.
#Browns plan to interview the new and improved former #Packers coach Mike McCarthy this time around, source says. Didn't last year.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) December 30, 2019
McCarthy is also being linked as the favorite to get the Cleveland Browns’ coaching job. He declined a chance to be interviewed for the Cleveland position last season.
Is Tepper willing to wait to get the chance to speak with McDaniels, Roman and Rhule after their seasons are done, and risk losing McCarthy to one of the other suddenly-vacant NFL head coaching positions?
Ultimately, that could be the decider here.
Pick: Mike McCarthy (+250)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
