The Arizona Cardinals have just named Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks their next head coach. The team said that Wilks agreed to a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year.
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Wilks has been an NFL assistant coach since 2006 and has been on the Panthers staff for the past six seasons. Prior to serving as their defensive coordinator this year, he was the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. He played at Appalachian State from 1987 to 1991, and attended the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp in 1992 before playing defensive back and wide receiver for the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League in 1993. He began his coaching career two years later at Johnson C. Smith University in 1995.
Since 2012, Wilks’ first season as Carolina’s secondary coach, the Panthers were sixth in the NFL with 96 interceptions. His 4-3 defense was known to blitz the quarterback early and often.
