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With all due respect to Matt Rhule’s body of work, his only prior NFL coaching experience before leading the Carolina Panthers was as an offensive line assistant for one season with the New York Giants. So jumping to make him one of the highest-paid head coaches in the game, as owner David Tepper did, was always considered a risk.
And, unfortunately for the billionaire hedge fund manager, his risk is not paying off.
In an additional bit from The Athletic‘s Dec. 31 report on the abysmal state of Rhule’s Panthers, author Joseph Person notes that Tepper is not exactly ecstatic with how his $62 million investment is coming along.
“Sources say owner David Tepper is unhappy and embarrassed after the $16 billion hedge fund manager gave Rhule a seven-year, $62 million deal to outbid the New York Giants for his services,” Person wrote, via Pro Football Talk.
Quite frankly, he should be.
In Rhule’s two-year run, Carolina has gone a sour 10-21. They’re currently skidding out on a five-game losing streak, with losses in 10 of their last 12 outings, and have fostered the league’s most volatile and perplexing quarterback situation.
Person’s story, in addition to Tepper’s supposed discontent, details numerous red flags of the Rhule regime. Those concerning developments include a show of favoritism towards guys Rhule coached in college, skepticism from the locker room about the process, a disconnect on Rhule having final say on roster decisions and an alleged instance where Rhule told players he chose them over the higher-paying collegiate opportunities he could have left for.
This past Monday, Rhule refuted there being any uneasiness on Tepper’s part, saying his conversation with the owner after the team’s Week 16 defeat was a positive one.
“I talked to Dave today. He’s been unbelievably supportive,” Rhule said following the 32-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “All of our conversations this morning were about ‘Best thing to do moving forward.’ So he’s been tremendously supportive and shown me a lot of confidence.”
Let’s see how much longer that support and confidence lasts as Tepper’s product continues to crumble.
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