George Seifert
No, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson would ask his second coach in club history to take the role of general manager.
However, it wasn’t like Richardson was asking anyone with marginal success to juggle both duties. George Seifert was taking over in Carolina. Not only had Seifert won two Super Bowls with two different quarterbacks, but he had been a part of the San Francisco 49ers going back to 1980. He had been in the building with Bill Walsh was general manager and coach and won it all in 1981. Seifert was there when John McVay was general manager from 1983-90, and the 49ers added three more Super Bowl wins. Seifert also had a quality general manager with Carmen Policy from 1991-97.
If there was any coach who deserved the chance, it was Seifert.
Carolina improved to 8-8 in 1999, but slid back one game the next year for a 7-9 finish.
After beating the NFC Central champion Minnesota Vikings 24-13 at the Metrodome to start 2001, the Panthers went on a 15-game losing streak that cost Seifert his job, and he has never been involved in pro football since.