Scotty Montgomery's 2nd interview suggests Rhule will have to settle for retread or a nobody

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Jay Glazier’s report that Matt Rhule’s job may depend on him landing a rockstar offensive coordinator set a high bar for the vacancy left after parting ways with Joe Brady. Breaking news, however, that Pip Hamilton recently declined Carolina’s interview offer suggests that the Panthers aren’t an attractive venue for a top headliner. Because of Rhule's uncertain future, a porous offensive line, and the lack of a starting quarterback, the best names like Hamilton aren’t interested in auditioning for the part. Instead, Rhule may have to find a cover band or a washed-out former rocker hoping for one last farewell tour. It’s honestly why names like Jay Gruden and Ben McAdoo are top candidates for the job. A retread or unknown may be Rhule’s only option.

Rhule described his ideal candidate as having NFL play-calling experience, but he has struggled to court high-profiled and more experienced names. As a result, he has been forced to explore some fringe candidates like Scottie Montgomery, current running backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Today, Ian Rapaport reported that Montgomery had a confirmed second interview.



Montgomery, a former undrafted free-agent signed by the Carolina Panthers, spent time under Mike Tomlin as a wide receivers coach and then moved down to the college ranks joining his alma mater’s staff in 2013. In 2016, Montgomery became the head coach for the East Carolina Pirates. His time at ECU wasn’t pretty. After winning his first two games, Montgomery finished the season 3-9 and subsequently finished the next two seasons with the same record. Montgomery’s tenure at ECU ended with a 9-26 overall record and a Pirate program left in shambles.

Montgomery would become Maryland’s offensive coordinator in 2019, only to be fired the following year after a season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. Montgomery’s underwhelming Maryland offense ranked 11th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten Conference. Sports reporter, Riley Gates, suggested Montgomery’s departure likely stemmed from his struggles in developing Tualia Tagovailo, the highly touted Alabama transfer and brother of Tua Tagovailoa.

“Perhaps one of the biggest reasons the Terrapins have decided to move on from Montgomery is the struggles of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. A talented quarterback transfer from Alabama, Tagovailoa didn’t quite meet expectations this year for Maryland, completing 61.5% of his passes for 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns, but also tossing seven interceptions, which proved to play into the struggles of the Terrapins.”
— Riley Gates

Montgomery joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 as a running backs coach, inheriting a talented group led by Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, and Marlon Mack. It’s easy to see why Rhule, who has been adamant about developing a power-rushing attack, would be interested in Montgomery. The Colts rushing attack proved deadly, and Jonathan Taylor was near unstoppable, rushing for 1800 yards and 18 touchdowns. Montgomery is likely pitching a similar offense funneled through Christian McCaffrey.

Carolina’s interest in Montgomery says a lot about the attractiveness of the job and the types of candidates who may be interested in taking it. As Rhule marches towards his likely execution, the position seems a one-year deal with long odds for success for whoever takes on the challenge. The Panthers are going to need to make the playoffs and field a notably improved offense in 2022 if Rhule and any of his staff hope to be employed beyond next season. Rhule will be pulling out all the stops to build an offensive attack that is both successful and exciting enough to whitewash this season’s failures. Montgomery’s struggles at the collegiate level don’t inspire much optimism when thinking of such a daunting challenge. However, an underwhelming candidate like Montgomery may be the only type willing to give it a shot.

By Tony Dunn

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