Steve Wilks Thankful for 'Being Re-Directed to Something Better'

The former Panthers interim head coach will be in this year's Super Bowl.

Charlotte native and former interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers Steve Wilks is heading to the Super Bowl in his first season as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

Wilks put together a strong case last season to be the Panthers' full-time head coach after they turned their season around, falling just one game short of winning the NFC South division. 

Instead, David Tepper went in a different direction and hired Frank Reich who lasted all of eleven games before being shown the door. 

The Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte community mean a lot to Wilks and he loved the idea of being the guy to get the franchise back on track. Disappointed but not discouraged, Wilks landed in a great situation and posted a tweet about it.

"As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better."

#Psalm100:5 pic.twitter.com/wvQnZPjO8x

— Steve Wilks (@ScoreonD) January 29, 2024

After the NFC Championship, NBC Sports' Bay Area affiliate caught up with Wilks and he provided a response similar to his tweet when asked about making it to the Super Bowl.

"It means a lot. Third time hopefully is the charm," Wilks said. "I've been to two and a matter of fact, the last one on this field right here, Super Bowl 50 and we didn't win. But to come and do it here with these men, this is the best organization that I've ever been a part of. They do it the right way. I'm just blessed to be a part of it and looking forward to finishing this deal."

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