{"id":4615,"date":"2023-02-03T09:32:15","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T14:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/?p=4615"},"modified":"2023-02-08T09:38:29","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T14:38:29","slug":"carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &#8220;Offensive Minded&#8221; Coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On October 10th, the Panthers suffered an embarrassing 37-15 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. That loss signaled the end of Carolina&#8217;s failed Matt Rhule head coaching experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sitting at 1-4 and owning a downward trajectory, Panthers&#8217; owner David Tepper named team defensive coordinator Steve Wilks the interim head coach and tasked him with righting the ship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilks&#8217; new role was reminiscent of his brief time in Arizona. There he inherited a defense ravaged by bad managerial decisions, an atrocious offense and a rookie quarterback in Josh Rosen who wasn&#8217;t worthy of his first-round selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, he was destined, arguably set up, to fail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arizona ended up firing Wilks, a defensive coach, in favor of Kliff Kingsbury, an &#8220;offensive minded&#8221; coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a humiliating end to Wilks&#8217; first head coaching opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cardinals gave Kingsbury four years and he responded with a 28-37-1 record. At the end of this past season, he was fired and fled to Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Wilks deserved the luxuries afforded to Kingsbury. He deserved the opportunity to coach Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins and the time to develop a team. <\/p><div id=\"first-380902920\" class=\"first-content first-entity-placement\"><!-- \/22950135888\/FAP_Article_Leaderboard_Instream2 -->\r\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1700413625220-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 90px;'>\r\n  <script>\r\n    googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700413625220-0'); });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In Arizona, Wilks took over a team that lacked talent, had a depleted defense &amp; drafted Josh Rosen. Then they expected Wilks to win immediately. <br><br>Wilks was fired in favor of an &quot;offensive minded&quot; coach in Kliff Kingsbury. He got 4 years, went 28-37-1 and was fired. 2\/8<\/p>&mdash; First and Pen (@firstandpen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/firstandpen\/status\/1618777176962387968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 27, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seeing <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/tag\/black-coaches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Black head coaches<\/a> put in undesirable positions and then fired in the NFL isn&#8217;t, unfortunately, a rare occurrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last season we witnessed it when <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/brian-flores-deserves-better\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Dolphins fired Brian Flores after back-to-back winning seasons<\/a> and Houston fired David Culley after he cleaned up the mess left behind by former Texans&#8217; head coach Bill O&#8217;Brien. We witnessed it again this season when the Texans fired Lovie Smith after doing the best he could with Houston&#8217;s talent-challenged roster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means that <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/houston-texans-lovie-smith-david-culley-black-coaches-mistreatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Texans humiliated three Black head coaches<\/a> (Romeo Crennel took over after O&#8217;Brien was fired) in a row for failing to win with meager resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This past Thursday, the Panthers chose Frank Reich over Steve Wilks. Why?<\/p><div id=\"first-402298264\" class=\"first-content_2 first-entity-placement\"><!-- \/22950135888\/FAP_Article_Leaderboard_Instream3 -->\r\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1700413989195-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 90px;'>\r\n  <script>\r\n    googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700413989195-0'); });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because Reich was a more &#8220;offensive-minded&#8221; coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That term has infiltrated and influenced the vision and decision-making process of NFL owners over the last few years, and it appears to be failing them in many cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just look at Nathaniel Hackett&#8217;s time in Denver and Josh McDaniel&#8217;s first year in Las Vegas. Check out the results of the aforementioned Matt Rhule, Bill O&#8217;Brien and Kliff Kingsbury. And let&#8217;s not ignore Kevin Stefanski, who has gone 11-5, 8-9 and 7-10 in his three seasons as the Browns head coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were expected to forge success.<\/p><div id=\"first-2497641290\" class=\"first-content_3 first-entity-placement\"><!-- \/22950135888\/FAP_Article_Leaderboard_Instream4 -->\r\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1700414036595-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 90px;'>\r\n  <script>\r\n    googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700414036595-0'); });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, they&#8217;ve combined for 3 total playoff wins during their head coaching careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their failures magnify the fact that qualified Black head coaches are shunned in favor of alleged offensive coaching genius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it illustrates how the &#8220;offensive-minded&#8221; terminology has evolved into coded language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When NFL owners want to hire a head coach, they can justify hiring a white coach by pulling the &#8220;offensive-minded&#8221; card. They know that the majority of Black coaches, with very few exceptions (Eric Bienemy, Byron Leftwich), are defensive minded, so it&#8217;s easy to camouflage their decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, before you get all emotional, I&#8217;m quite aware that not all white coaches offensive-minded. Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh and Brandon Staley all hail from the defensive side of the ball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yes, I know <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/houston-texans-hiring-black-coach-former-49ers-demeco-ryans-has-to-work-out-for-everyone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Texans just hired former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans<\/a> as their new head coach (only after humiliating their two previous Black head coaches with one-and-done seasons).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when qualified Black coaches are consistently bypassed for offensive-minded head coaches who are white, something we&#8217;ve seen over the past two seasons, a grave problem exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, are all owners racists? No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the process definitely is and Carolina&#8217;s decision not to hire Steve Wilks exposes it. It also becomes more fuel for <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/brian-flores-courageous-stand-is-so-much-bigger-than-football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brian Flores&#8217; racial discrimination lawsuit<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/now-is-the-time-for-more-black-coaches-to-join-brian-flores-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wilks later joined<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Carolina native led a 1-4 team to a 6-6 record (7-10 overall), and almost won the NFC South title and a playoff birth. He focused on the run game and strengthening the defense, which elevated the team and energized its fan base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/carolina-panthers-must-not-do-steve-wilks-dirty-like-arizona-cardinals-did\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wilks deserved to be Carolina&#8217;s head coach<\/a>. His performance spoke volumes and the players fully supported him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet Tepper hired Frank Reich, who was fired by the Colts after a 3-5-1 start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those supporting Reich, yes, I know he&#8217;s a good person. But this is not about him. Rather it&#8217;s about the system that oftentimes unfairly elevates him over qualified Black coaches.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At one point, there was talk of Reich and Wilks working together as head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively. Yet after Wilks&#8217; performance this season, why couldn&#8217;t it be the other way around?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s time to change the narrative, thought process and usage of coded language in head coaching searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hopefully, Indianapolis and Arizona are paying attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On October 10th, the Panthers suffered an embarrassing 37-15 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. That loss signaled the end of Carolina&#8217;s failed Matt Rhule head coaching experience. Sitting at 1-4 and owning a downward trajectory, Panthers&#8217; owner David Tepper named team defensive coordinator Steve Wilks the interim head coach and tasked [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[109,865,916,127],"class_list":["post-4615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-black-coaches","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-offensive-minded","tag-steve-wilks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &quot;Offensive Minded&quot; Coaches - First And Pen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word &quot;offensive-minded.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &quot;Offensive Minded&quot; Coaches - First And Pen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word &quot;offensive-minded.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"First And Pen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Yussuf Khan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Yussuf Khan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Yussuf Khan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/201b5093a147e404fe17c63621ed20ca\"},\"headline\":\"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &#8220;Offensive Minded&#8221; Coaches\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":800,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"black coaches\",\"carolina panthers\",\"offensive minded\",\"steve wilks\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/\",\"name\":\"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of \\\"Offensive Minded\\\" Coaches - First And Pen\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word \\\"offensive-minded.\\\"\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"(Photo by Jared C. Tilton\\\/Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &#8220;Offensive Minded&#8221; Coaches\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"First And Pen\",\"description\":\"To inform, inspire and connect through voices of color in sports\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"First And Pen\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/Asset-3@2x-100.jpg?fit=983%2C768&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i1.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/Asset-3@2x-100.jpg?fit=983%2C768&ssl=1\",\"width\":983,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"First And Pen\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/201b5093a147e404fe17c63621ed20ca\",\"name\":\"Yussuf Khan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/01\\\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/01\\\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/01\\\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1\",\"caption\":\"Yussuf Khan\"},\"description\":\"Founder &amp; CEO, The Khanate Group. \\\"If we refuse what we have promised and are not generous with the benefits, no one will ever trust us again.\\\"- Salah ad-Din Yusuf\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/firstandpen.com\\\/staging\\\/5861\\\/author\\\/yussuf\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of \"Offensive Minded\" Coaches - First And Pen","description":"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word \"offensive-minded.\"","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of \"Offensive Minded\" Coaches - First And Pen","og_description":"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word \"offensive-minded.\"","og_url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/","og_site_name":"First And Pen","article_published_time":"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Yussuf Khan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Yussuf Khan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/"},"author":{"name":"Yussuf Khan","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#\/schema\/person\/201b5093a147e404fe17c63621ed20ca"},"headline":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &#8220;Offensive Minded&#8221; Coaches","datePublished":"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/"},"wordCount":800,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","keywords":["black coaches","carolina panthers","offensive minded","steve wilks"],"articleSection":["Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/","url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/","name":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of \"Offensive Minded\" Coaches - First And Pen","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","datePublished":"2023-02-03T14:32:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-08T14:38:29+00:00","description":"Under Steve Wilks, the Panthers almost won the NFC South. Yet they hired Frank Reich and justified it with the code word \"offensive-minded.\"","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","width":1024,"height":683,"caption":"(Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/carolina-panthers-not-hiring-steve-wilks-exposes-the-coded-language-of-offensive-minded-coaches\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Carolina Not Hiring Steve Wilks Exposes The Coded Language Of &#8220;Offensive Minded&#8221; Coaches"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/","name":"First And Pen","description":"To inform, inspire and connect through voices of color in sports","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#organization","name":"First And Pen","url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Asset-3@2x-100.jpg?fit=983%2C768&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Asset-3@2x-100.jpg?fit=983%2C768&ssl=1","width":983,"height":768,"caption":"First And Pen"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/#\/schema\/person\/201b5093a147e404fe17c63621ed20ca","name":"Yussuf Khan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_8917-e1610551347732.jpg?fit=88%2C96&ssl=1","caption":"Yussuf Khan"},"description":"Founder &amp; CEO, The Khanate Group. \"If we refuse what we have promised and are not generous with the benefits, no one will ever trust us again.\"- Salah ad-Din Yusuf","url":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/author\/yussuf\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Steve-Wilks-GettyImages-1445219696.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firstandpen.com\/staging\/5861\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}