NFL Rumors: 'Who F--king Knows' Who David Tepper's Panthers Will Hire as New HC

If you're curious about David Tepper's plan to find a new head coach for the Carolina Panthers, so are some people in the NFL.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, one high-level source with a team that's not the Panthers said "who f--king knows" when asked about who might get the job.

"Owner David Tepper looms over all decisions," Florio wrote, "and he will hover over the shoulder of whoever gets the job. It's the least attractive option of all (in my opinion), given that the owner is the most active (and disruptive) to the efforts of the coach to do his job."

The Panthers have completed four virtual interviews with candidates this week, including interim head coach Chris Tabor, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

It will be interesting to see how Tepper handles things this offseason because the Panthers also have to hire a general manager.

The traditional way of going about things would be to hire the GM first, then let that person at least have some role in bringing in a head coach.

Tepper is far from a traditional operator. He's fired a total of five head coaches during his tenure as owner the Panthers and MLS club Charlotte FC since 2018.

A 2010 profile of Tepper by Jessica Pressler of New York Magazine was circulated during this NFL season for a quote about how his knee-jerk approach to things may not work well in professional sports.

It's not unusual for NFL owners to meddle in all aspects of the team, but Tepper's reputation seems like he takes it to extreme levels.

When you combine that with a roster situation that is a complete mess, highlighted by the Panthers having to send the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Chicago Bears stemming from last year's trade they made to select Bryce Young, it doesn't seem like an attractive job.

There are only 32 head-coaching jobs available in the NFL, but it may be difficult for the Panthers to land top-tier candidates because of the uncertainty around their roster and Tepper's style of management.