Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and New England Patriots play-caller Josh McDaniels headline the list of candidates to become head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
According to reports, the Panthers requested formal interviews with both highly regarded assistants. The team has already met with former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and plans to interview interim head coach Perry Fewell.
Ron Rivera, who was replaced in December, is reportedly on the verge of becoming head coach of the Washington Redskins.
Bieniemy, 50, was a running back at Colorado and has never been a head coach. He was running backs coach for the Chiefs for five seasons and stepped into the coordinator role when Matt Nagy was hired to become head coach of the Chicago Bears in 2018. Nagy had no head-coaching experience but guided Chicago to the NFC North title in his first season and went 8-8 in 2019.
McDaniels, 43, was head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-10. He backed out of an agreement to be head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, opting instead to remain an assistant to Bill Belichick in New England.
The Cleveland Browns also requested an interview with McDaniels, and he is under consideration by the New York Giants as well, according to reports.
The Panthers could also request permission to interview Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, per reports, though no formal request had been made as of Monday morning.
Rivera turns 58 on Jan. 7 and was fired by the Panthers after a 5-7 start to this season, capping a nine-year tenure in which he went 76-63-1.
