So Dave Canales wasn’t kidding a few weeks ago when he said he was excited for his chance to speak with the Carolina Panthers, huh?
On Thursday night, the team officially announced that they have hired the 42-year-old as their new head coach. And just minutes after the news broke, Canales took right to Twitter—with a fancy new profile picture and all . . .
Excited for what’s to come but right now just thankful for my time with the @Buccaneers ! Amazing fans and organization. Thanks to Coach Bowles, the staff and the amazing players that I was honored to work with! I’ll be rootin for ya 15 weeks out of the year! Thank You!!!
— Dave Canales (@TheCoachCanales) January 26, 2024
Before even getting the job, Canales credited the opportunity to his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Yeah, it is surreal to me,” he said on Jan. 12 when asked about receiving an interview request from the Panthers. “And I’m really grateful, because I honestly can’t do this without the guys in this building—without the talent that we have on our offense, an amazing staff that’s just worked their tail off to put ourselves in the situation to win the division. And so when I think about it, it’s like—okay, coordinator gets all the heat and you get all the praise while there’s really a bigger story than that.”
Canales, in his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator, helped coax a career campaign out of veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield. His work also pushed Tampa Bay to their third straight NFC South title.
But now, he’s probably hoping 2024 won’t bring a fourth for his now-former employer.
