The NFL coaching carousel came to a full and complete stop recently, and both coordinators for the red hot Carolina Panthers were shut out of the opportunity for a head coaching opportunity following a wildly successful season so far. The Catch-22 for assistants on teams making playoff runs is they may be the best-suited candidate for certain vacancies, but they are extremely limited in time to interview for those positions before they are filled. Such was the case for Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula.
It was previously reported Shula would not interview with any teams seeking a new head coach for as long as Carolina, the NFC’s top seed in the playoff field, was alive in the postseason. Despite having a bye week as the number one seed, Shula’s phone never rung to set up any interviews.
Teams will be interested in #Panthers OC Mike Shula, but I'm told he won't interview while his team is still playing. He wants to focus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2016
As it turns out, that was not quite the case for Shula. As is so often the case, the media gets the blame for this one, according to Shula.
“All I said (to the media) was I’m focused on the playoffs,” Shula said to FOX Sports. “The other quote was if it did happen, if I was approached, I’d have to consider that at the time. Those were my only quotes.”
So it would seem Shula would have entertained the opportunity if approached, and his success in Carolina clearly made that worthy of discussion. But if he took issue with the previous reports, why not have somebody make a couple of calls to change the narrative? Apparently the lack of an agent hurt him here.
“I don’t have an agent,” Shula said to FOX Sports. Well, that should be strike one. I have a friend that helps me, but he definitely wasn’t that person . . . I don’t know where that (report) came from.”
“I have a friend that helps me,” Shula added.
Friends are great, but that’s a big swing and a miss in this game.
If there is one thing we know for sure having watched sports for as long as we all have, it is that agents are always talking. Agents are always looking to drop hints and suggestions for their clients, whether the player or coach want that or not. Agents get paid by getting their clients paid. Had Shula had an actual agent, perhaps he would have received a phone call or two during this latest round of the NFL coaching carousel.
As it stands, Shula is now sitting and waiting for the next cycle of coaching changes. If he is truly open to the idea of grabbing a head coaching job, then he might want to hire a dirty, slimy agent soon.
