CHARLOTTE – Panthers head coach Matt Rhule does not currently have a general manager or a full-time coaching staff, but does have a different job.
The Panthers and Dolphins were selected to coach at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
The match itself is on January 30, but the most important part is the week of practice that leads to it, when Rhule and his staff can get an in-depth look at some of the best prospects for this year’s college.
Last year, a skinny kid from Southern Illinois named Jeremy Chinn had a great week of practice and jumped into the second round. It seems his current team loves him.
“We are delighted to be coaching at the Senior Bowl,” Rhule said. “Jim Nagy and his staff put together the best exhibition of fellow talent in the country every year, and we are very excited to lead and get to know a team of this year’s best draft prospects.”
The Panthers pick eighth place in the 2021 NFL draft, while the Dolphins have third and 18th picks.
The Panthers will be particularly interested in investigating the quarterback prospects. Currently, the six full-backs who have accepted the invitations to the game (to be split between the two teams) are Texas A & M’s Kellen Mond, Sam Ehlinger of Texas, Notre Dame’s Ian Book, Kyle Trask of Florida, Feleipe Franks of Arkansas and Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman.
The Panthers coached only once in the Senior Bowl when George Seifert led his staff there in 2000. This led to the (unfortunate) selection of cornerback Rashard Anderson in the first round and the protection of Leander Jordan in the third. , though they did well working out of sixth-round guard Jeno James and seventh-round linebacker Lester Towns who played in the Senior Bowl that year.
The Panthers coaching staff is currently still slightly in motion. They have already lost coach Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas to LSU (where they will be the offensive coordinator and the coordinator of the game respectively) and assistant attacking coach Marcus Satterfield is offensive coordinator in South Carolina.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady also interviewed four head coach positions (Jets, Falcons, Texans, Chargers) and defensive game coordinator Jason Simmons interviewed the Dallas defense coordinator.