BREAKING: Carolina Panthers Hiring Buccaneers OC Dave Canales As Next Head Coach
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales looks to already be on the move, moving up the coaching ladder to become the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
According to Adam Schefter and confirmed by our very own JC Allen, the Buccaneers' NFC South rivals, in a surprising move, are hiring the Bucs' OC to become their next head coach after firing Frank Reich midway through the 2023 season. Canales has clear ties to the Panthers through new General Manager Dan Morgan. The two worked alongside one another for eight years in Seattle and now will be reunited in Carolina as the new HC/GM combo.
Canales appears headed towards his first gig as a head coach. He spent this past season calling plays for the first time and prior to that spent 14 years under the tutelage of former USC and Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll. During his time with the Seahawks, Canales worked as the Wide Receivers Coach, Passing Game Coordinator, and QB's Coach and is partially credited for helping resurrect QB Geno Smith's career in Seattle.
Since his arrival in Tampa Bay last offseason, Canales had to prove himself as a first-time play caller and he did just that; helping the Buccaneers' offense find rhythm by letting the players figure out what worked for them to make the offense successful while also installing a sense of togetherness to play for one another to reach the heights that they so valued.
It wasn't always pretty, but Canales stuck to his method, and towards the end of the regular season the Bucs' offense started to take off. Canales' work with Smith in the past and what he was able to get out of Baker Mayfield this season went a long way in his consideration for the position.
Canales will have his work cut out for him in Carolina as he will arrive in Charlotte with fewer weapons on the offensive side of the ball than he had in Tampa Bay. He will be united with soon-to-be second-year QB Bryce Young and the Panthers will look to bolster their skill positions once the announcement becomes official and the offseason begins.
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