Panthers Coach Rhule Bringing Energy, Earning Respect
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the middle of Mondayโs first padded training camp practice, first-year Panthers coach Matt Rhule blew a whistle and stopped the action during a defensive line drill.
Then he walked over to the blocking dummy and aggressively demonstrated the technique he was looking for from his linemen. In a flash, the intensity picked up as practice quickly resumed.
โI donโt know what came over me,โ Rhule said. โAt least I didnโt get hurt. That was the positive thing.โโ
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater says there isnโt a place at Panthers team headquarters where you canโt feel Rhuleโs high-octane energy.
Team meeting rooms. The weight room. On the practice field, it doesnโt matter.
The 45-year-old Rhule is quickly establishing a culture in Carolina and players are already buying in, even though the team hasnโt played a game yet for the former Baylor coach.
โIt is definitely contagious,โ Bridgewater said of Rhuleโs energy. โHeโs screaming, heโs loud, heโs running around, heโs hollering. Sometimes he talks too much,โ the QB added with a laugh.
โBut he is a great motivator and right now heโs getting the best out of everyone.โ
The energy was evident in Rhuleโs first two practices in front of reporters, including the squadโs first padded session.
His practices move at a frantic pace with mostly rap music blaring in the background. When he doesnโt like something he sees from players heโll stop the practice โ and the music โ and let them know about it. If the defense makes a mistake theyโre sent to the ground for push-ups with Rhule often flopping to the ground and joining in.
Rhule and his staff are heavily involved in the teaching process of what is an extremely young team in the midst of a rebuilding process. Itโs not unusual to see a defensive backs coach running alongside a cornerback while in coverage and shouting instructions on how to defend the wide receiver as the play develops. The line coaches wonโt hesitate to grab a jersey to demonstrate technique.
The hands-on approach is not unusual for Rhule, who played linebacker at Penn State under Joe Paterno.
He once donned a set of pads and a helmet and joined his players at practice while serving as head coach at Temple.
โI remember looking at him, like, โHey, this guy is crazy,โโ said Panthers linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who played under Rhule with the Owls. โI forget which guy he was going up against, but I would say he was probably about twice Mattโs size. Matt says he didnโt care. It was like, โweโve got to show you guys how to get going.โโ
Rhule joked that he wonโt be doing that again at the NFL level.
โThese guys are way too fast and explosive,โ Rhule said with a laugh. โNot a chance.โ
โThe great thing about coach is heโs right down there in it with us,โ Bridgewater said.
If practice isnโt moving along fast enough, players and coaches will hear about it from Rhule. Heโs not a stickler for long practices, saying he prefers shorter ones as long as the tempo is fast and upbeat.
โIf you came to our Baylor practice, it would have been 10 times faster because we werenโt in the huddle,โ said Rhule, who spent the past three years coaching the Bulldogs.
โSometimes (offensive coordinator) Joe Brady kind of laughs at me because I get a little antsy. โGet the play in and go!โฒ I donโt want practice to ever feel like drudgery. Letโs rock! Letโs go!โ
Safety Juston Burris said one of the reasons he signed with Carolina this offseason is because he heard players who played for Rhule were willing to โrun through a brick wall for him.โ
He believes it now.
โFrom the first week you could tell that he is a man who commands a room and commands respect,โ Burris said.
Bridgewater feels it every day, and loves what he sees.
โWe are bringing that energy and feeding off coachโs energy,โ Bridgewater said. โFrom the time you finish that stretching period you have to turn that switch on.โ
In other words, Rhule expects his players to match his energy.
โThatโs always been the type of guy he is, and thatโs why Iโve always respected him,โ Whitehead said. โWhat he asks and requests from you is all you can give, all your energy and everything and go 100 miles (per hour) on the field. And he does the exact same thing.โ
Rhule is in the process of developing relationships with his players, many of whom he is still getting to know in person after an virtual offseason filled with Zoom meetings and distance learning.
On Monday, he let players who have children come in late so they could be there with their kids for their first day of school, even though many in the Charlotte area are operating on remote learning because of the coronavirus.
But when players are in the building, Rhule is expecting their best and hasnโt been shy about calling out players if they make a mistake in practice.
And Burris said thatโs just fine by him.
โHey weโve got a bunch of guys in this group that donโt want to be coddled,โ Burris said. โWe want to win. We have a coach we believe in. He has a formula and weโre following behind that.โ