Tag: Nicole Tepper

Panthers owner Nicole Tepper: I can talk film with HC Dave Canales for hours

Panthers owner and CAO Nicole Tepper shared the moment when she knew Dave Canales was the right guy for the HC job.

If Nicole Tepper wasn’t a film buff before this offseason, she may be one now.

The Carolina Panthers owner and chief administrative officer was the first of three special guests on today’s Bank of America Stadium-based episode of Up & Adams. Host Kay Adams asked Tepper about her impressions of the team’s new head coach Dave Canales.

“He has a passion for people,” she replied. “He has an uncanny ability to make this complicated game so simple. He worked 13 years for one of the greatest coaches of all-time, Pete Carroll. I mean, that in itself is amazing.

“I mean, you have to be hidden under a rock if you haven’t seen what he did last year to Baker Mayfield. I mean, the two of them together was dynamic, and he was a big part of that, right?

“He’s a visionary. I’m excited for him, and you wanna play for him, you wanna work for him.”

Tepper’s Panthers officially hired Canales back on Jan. 25. The 42-year-old served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 and worked under Carroll in Seattle—as a wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator—from 2010 to 2022.

Adams then asked Tepper if there was a moment where she knew Canales was the guy for the job.

“I think he was breaking down film in the second interview process, and I did not want it to stop,” Tepper said. “Like, I wanted him to keep going. I wanted to listen more. I would’ve sat down and talked film with him, or listen to him break down film, for hours.”

Maybe the Panthers might have themselves a high-profile guest in the film room for now on.

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Report reveals braintrust behind Panthers’ GM search

Per CBS Sports, the Panthers’ GM search included owners David and Nicole Tepper, team president Kristi Coleman and senior assistant coach Jim Caldwell.

So, who was in on the Carolina Panthers’ decision to stay local?

On Monday, the organization announced the promotion of now-former assistant general manager Dan Morgan to the president of football operations and general manager posts. And according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, here’s who was included in the braintrust that ultimately landed on the former linebacker:

According to sources, Tepper captained the search for his next GM along with his wife, Nicole, team president Kristi Coleman, Panthers senior assistant coach and longtime NFL head coach Jim Caldwell and Mike Forde, who heads the search firm Sportsology.

ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Jan. 6 that the Panthers were entering their hunt with Forde and Sportsology. The firm also has past experience with the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers as well as with Tepper’s head-coaching search for Charlotte FC from last month.

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Nicole Tepper, Scott Fitterer among interested observers at Wednesday’s practice

The Panthers had a number of attentive onlookers during OL vs. DL drills on Wednesday, including owner Nicole Tepper and GM Scott Fitterer.

The Carolina Panthers had a who’s who of onlookers at practice on Wednesday—and it wasn’t just for kicks.

As noted by both Joe Person of The Athletic and Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, owner Nicole Tepper was particularly attentive of this afternoon’s offensive line vs. defensive line drills. Tepper was joined by “many others” during that portion of the session—including general manager Scott Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Frank Reich and senior defensive assistant Dom Capers.

With the daunting Dallas Cowboys defense coming to town for a tough matchup on Sunday, Carolina’s overwhelmed offensive line will certainly be a point of emphasis for Week 11—especially given the struggles of rookie quarterback Bryce Young. According to Pro Football Focus, the No. 1 overall pick has been pressured on 132 of his dropbacks—the fifth-most in the league thus far.

The unit will have a different look this week, as the Panthers released starting left guard Calvin Throckmorton yesterday. Rookie Chandler Zavala and 2022 sixth-round pick Cade Mays are possibilities to take over on the vacated spot.

Oh, and some guy named Luke Kuechly was there today as well . . .

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WATCH: Julius Peppers gets his Panthers Hall of Honor call from David Tepper

Watch as franchise legend Julius Peppers gets his call to the Panthers Hall of Honor from David and Nicole Tepper.

When Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper recently video chatted Julius Peppers, he seemed a bit surprised by how svelte the franchise great is. But the surprise Tepper had for Peppers was a tad heavier.

On Monday, the team announced the former defensive end—as well as former wide receiver and teammate Muhsin Muhammad—would be inducted into its Hall of Honor later this season. Now, a little over 24 hours later, they revealed the very moment in which the 43-year-old legend was made aware of that little detail:

Peppers was born in Wilson, N.C. on Jan. 18, 1980. He’d go on to establish a legacy in his home state—playing his high school ball at Southern Nash in Bailey and his college ball at the University of North Carolina.

The two-sport star, who was a bit better at football than the b-ball, was then taken by the Panthers with the second overall pick of the 2002 NFL draft. Peppers proceeded to rack up 10 of his 17 pro seasons in Charlotte—where he’d amass a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four All-Pro nods and five Pro Bowl selections.

His induction into the Hall of Honor will take place at halftime of the Panthers’ Week 8 contest against the Houston Texans on Oct. 29.

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Nicole Tepper made call to seal Panthers’ trade for DJ Johnson

The third episode of “Panthers Blueprint” revealed Nicole Tepper made the trade call that helped secure third-round pick DJ Johnson.

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Now famously known to be “in on every deal,” Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer never shies away from making a move. And while he generally prefers to move back when it comes to swapping draft capital, he made an exception for not one, but two players this spring.

The first of which, of course, was quarterback Bryce Young. Carolina offered four premium picks and standout receiver DJ Moore to blitz atop the board back on March 10.

The second came during the draft itself with their third-round pick in outside linebacker DJ Johnson—who Fitterer talks about in the third and final episode of “Panthers Blueprint.”

“I love movin’ back because you acquire picks,” Fitterer said. “But sometimes when you get a player who fills a need, that fits the athletic profile and does exactly what you want—that’s when it’s worth it. That’s when you go up and take a shot.”

So, they did—shipping off the 93rd and 132nd picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 80th to secure the University of Oregon pass rusher. Oh, and perhaps appropriately enough, it was Nicole Tepper who made the call to the Steel City in getting the deal done.

Chief Administrative Officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment and wife of owner David Tepper, Nicole has played an integral part behind the scenes in recent years. From establishing a healthy culture within the organization to attending pro days, Tepper’s been a highly-acclaimed member of the Carolina braintrust.

And now, she can add “wheelin’ and dealin'” to the job list.

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Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper to attend Ohio State Pro Day

The Panthers will have 11 sets of eyes, including those of owners David and Nicole Tepper, on C.J. Stroud at Ohio State’s Pro Day.

The Carolina Panthers will be rolling 11-deep for C.J. Stroud on Wednesday, with two very important people in tow.

We’ve already learned, courtesy of Darin Gantt of Panthers.com, that the organization will be sending a heavy contingent to the Ohio State University. A later report from MMQB senior NFL reporter Albert Breer, however, added four more names to the list—including owners David and Nicole Tepper.

The Teppers will be joining a group that already included general manager Scott Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman, head coach Frank Reich, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and senior assistant Jim Caldwell. Scouting director Cole Spencer and scout Joel Patten, as Breer adds, will also be making the trip.

They will all be there, of course, for Stroud—who may very well be this year’s No. 1 overall pick and the next quarterback of the franchise. The standout Buckeye, in fact, is the most recent odds-on favorite to be selected atop the 2023 NFL draft.

No pressure, C.J.

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Report: Panthers now in compliance with mandated inclusive hiring training

Per ESPN’s David Newton, the Panthers are now in compliance with the NFL’s mandated inclusive hiring training after a hangup regarding Nicole Tepper.

The Carolina Panthers can now proceed.

Last night, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported that the organization received a call from a league executive on Wednesday regarding a possible violation in their search for a new head coach. The subject of the hangup was Nicole Tepper, Chief Administrative Officer of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and wife of team owner David Tepper.

Per the NFL’s practices for inclusive hiring training, Tepper did not fulfill the requirements necessary to be a part of the franchise’s search committee. A Panthers spokesman was quoted as saying Tepper did participate in training prior to the five interviews that have already taken place, but did not specify to what degree.

Well, less than two days later, the Panthers are now all clear.

According to ESPN’s David Newton, the team is in compliance with the mandated inclusive hiring training.

Carolina has already spoken to Steve Wilks, Frank Reich, Jim Caldwell, Shane Steichen and Ejiro Evero about their vacancy. They are also planning to hold interviews with Sean Payton, Ken Dorsey and Mike Kafka in the near future.

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Report: Panthers’ inclusion of Nicole Tepper in HC hiring process violates NFL rules

As reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, Nicole Tepper did not complete the required inclusive hiring training necessary for her to be included in the Panthers’ HC search.

During his exit interview 10 days ago, Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer made a comment he’d probably like to have back. He told reporters that Nicole Tepper, Chief Administrative Officer of Tepper Sports & Entertainment and wife of David Tepper, was involved in their search for a new head coach.

Welp . . .

As reported by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones on Thursday night, the Panthers are in violation of league rules pertaining to their head-coaching search. The violation is in regards to the involvement of Tepper—who, according to Jones’ sources, “had not fulfilled the required inclusive hiring training necessary for her to take part in the interviews as of Tuesday night.”

Jones, in his report, included a statement from NFL SVP and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane. It reads:

“The inclusive hiring training is a key element of our efforts to foster an equitable hiring process. Any suggestion that this mandatory requirement was not met by applicable clubs will be addressed and corrected immediately.”

Additionally, a Panthers spokesman said the following about the matter:

“She was trained prior to participating in interviews.”

Carolina has already interviewed Steve Wilks, Frank Reich, Jim Caldwell, Shane Steichen and Evero Ejiro for the position.

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Panthers announce changes atop organization

The Panthers made a few leadership changes on Tuesday, including naming Kristi Coleman as new team president.

Not to be outdone by Tom Brady, the Carolina Panthers made a pretty substantial announcement themselves on Tuesday morning.

According to a release from the team, Tepper Sports and Entertainment shuffled their cards atop the organization. The moves will see Nick Kelly take over as chief executive officer for Tepper Sports and Entertainment and Kristi Coleman assume the role as president of the Carolina Panthers.

Coleman has been with the franchise for eight years, most recently as the chief financial officer. She will replace Tom Glick in the day-to-day business operations.

Kelly, who has 15 years of experience in marketing, was previously serving as the president of Charlotte FC. His transition will now hand the reins over to Joe LaBue, the vice president of ticket sales and services for the company.

And speaking of Teppers, Nicole Tepper will also take on a new position as chief administrative officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment.

“Nick, Kristi, Joe, and Nicole are talented, passionate executives, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them as we strengthen our organization and build winning teams for our fans,” owner David Tepper said in the release. “We thank Tom for his many contributions to the organization and wish him and his family the best.”

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Watch: Panthers owners talk early voting, TNF on Good Morning Football

Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper talk early voting, fans on Good Morning Football.

Carolina Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper were guests on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football episode this morning. They touched on a lot of different things, including voting at Bank of America Stadium and tonight’s game against the Falcons.

Watch.

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