Steve Wilks Reveals 2023 Plans After Frank Reich Hiring

It looks like Steve Wilks' return to the Carolina Panthers will be short-lived.

Wilks, who came back to coach the Panthers in 2022 after a previous stint with Carolina from 2012-2017, is ready to move on again after just one season with the team.

Steve Wilks Panthers News

Wilks revealed his intention to leave the Panthers on Thursday after the team hired Frank Reich to be their new head coach earlier in the day. He was apparently unhappy about Reich getting the job over him, and for good reason.

Reich was head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018-2022 but was fired after the team got off to a 3-5-1 start this year. This came on the heels of Indy's devastating collapse at the end of 2021, when the Colts lost their last two games of the regular season and missed the playoffs.

Wilks, on the other hand, stepped up to lead the Panthers after they also fired their head coach this year. He started the year as a defensive assistant for Carolina but was thrust into the HC role when Matt Rhule was fired in October. The Panthers turned their season around under Wilks and managed to climb back into the playoff hunt after a slow start, finishing just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

Despite his success this year, Wilks was passed over for Carolina's head coaching job after interviewing for it this offseason. The Panthers opted to give the job to another failed coach instead, ticking off Wilks in the process and causing him to seek employment elsewhere. Time will tell where Wilks ends up and if Carolina regrets not keeping him around.