Carolina Panthers Interim HC Steve Wilks Interview (12-7-22)

What a treat this is. Steve Wilks, the pride of West Charlotte High School, App State University, and the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, who's now on WSJS. Coach, the time is appreciated. Since it's state championship week for high school football, what memories immediately shoot into your head when I bring up your state playoff days at West Charlotte? West Charlotte in 71st, February 71st, and we lost three to nothing in the state championship game. And I remember Coach Harding, my high school coach at that time, saying that there would never be another state championship game played at a home site. And I went off to Appalachia State the following year, and I think for two years it was at Wake Forest. And then after that, it's been at Chapel Hill ever since.

So he was definitely right. Yeah. Did that loss hurt more than any other? It was disappointing because we had a great team and we felt like, you know, we had momentum going into that game and it was very disappointing. But a lot of memories with West Charlotte and those guys that I played with.

Yeah, we'll get to your team in a second. But given your level of familiarity with the state, I'm sure you know how big App State is here in the Triad. And I don't think I've ever heard you speak about your time there. You arrived right before some guy named Jerry Moore took over the reins. Then years later, you spent a year on his staff. In what ways would you say Coach Moore has influenced your coaching career? In so many ways, man, Coach Moore is a phenomenal coach, even a better human being.

It's so much I mean, we'll be talking all night in regards to him. But the one thing that many things that I've taken from him. But the one thing that stands out is that everyone had value, everyone within the organization. And I've learned that early in everywhere I've been, particularly been in the leadership role, rather as the custodian in the building to the starting quarterback.

You know, everybody has value within the organization that he treated everyone like that. You know, we had a strong walk on program there. Scott Satterfield, who's now the head coach at Cincinnati, was one of those products that walked on and end up being one of the top quarterbacks in Appalachian State history.

And Coach Moore found those guys and, you know, always treat them with respect. Was Satterfield the quarterback your last couple of years there? No, I was a little older than Satterfield. He was a freshman when I was a senior. Oh, okay.

I just want to make sure I get the timeline right. Man, Steve Wilks is polished. We see it on the field and the way you coach this team and even following college headlines enough to know that he's the head coach at Cincinnati now and not at Louisville. I've also read, trying to be as buttoned up as you are, I've read that you met your wife at App State. Is that true?

No, I did not. I met her here in Charlotte when I was coaching at Johnson C. Smith University. Yeah, she's in App State, though. An App State alum, right? No, no, no, no, she's not.

My wife went to nursing school here at Queens College, Presbyterian. See, this is what happens. This is the example of the quarterback throwing the pick. You know, quarterback throws a pick sometimes and you got to get back out there and have instant amnesia for the next drive because Steve Wilks is with us here. And getting to your team within that locker room, coach, guys have made it clear when we're talking to them after games, they want you to get the job. Former players that we've had on like Ricky Proel and Deloam and Kuechly, heck, even Matt Ruhle, we heard him last week say they're rooting for you. They hope you get the job. Even though I know you don't want this to be about you, how much have you felt that support within the building?

It's a lot of support, but in the same token, this thing is much bigger than myself, as you just mentioned. And those players in the locker room, all the credit to them because they go out and execute each and every week. And one thing I can tell you for sure, you guys aren't here each and every day, but these guys don't have a problem working. You know, they're phenomenal in their preparation and how they go about doing their job and trying to create the best opportunity they can each and every week. So kudos to those guys and a lot of respect for them. When David Tepper took questions after making the coaching change, he didn't welcome talk about any other candidates.

He only focused on talking about you out of respect to you. What made you feel assured back then that you were going to get a real shot at this? My approach really is just really trying to take it day by day. And I told these guys when I first took over the job, I say only thing that's guaranteed is the next 13 weeks. And one thing I just ask that you guys act like a champion. That's all I want from you guys act like a champion that is broken down into an acronym with accountability, commitment and trust. And that's how we really built this thing the last couple of months.

And God's been accountable, showing a great level of commitment and really trusted in the process and the man beside him. What area do you think this team has grown the most, improved in the most in the last two months? Well, I think really upfront offensively with the offensive line.

I mean, they spearhead us in the direction in which we want to go. That's the strength of this team, you know, really trying to establish new line of scrimmage and running the football. And then, you know, on the other side of the ball defensively, you know, really stopping the run and getting out of the quarterback. That's where it really happens.

That's where the magic takes place in the trenches. That's an amazing thing that you just said, though, when you say that the strength of this team is the offensive line. When Panther fans have talked about the O line the last six, seven years, that it wasn't not only not a strength, it was a weakness that Carolina's had at points.

At what point during the offseason did you look at things and realize, oh, we've done enough here with the additions of Icky and Corbett and otherwise to think that you could run the ball and do so effectively behind this line? Well, I think really it starts with, you know, the GM Scott Fitter that has done a tremendous job and really orchestrating, you know, draft picks, free agency. So a lot of credit to him and his staff. And then the mindset of bringing in a veteran offensive line coach like James Camp and who I know real well, we work together in Cleveland. A lot of respect amongst his peers and the things that he's accomplished. So with those two things in place, man, these guys have really adopted the mindset of the, you know, blue collared man, lunch pail, come to work and let's just get it.

So, you know, again, they've done a tremendous job in how they go about their day to day tasks. Steve Wilks is with us here on WSJS. And before we let you get off to more important things, we got to get to the most important topic here. Last week or really the last month and talking to guys, I heard Burns just offhand refer to you as Denzel. And you've got the nickname Denzel as in Denzel Washington. And in honor of your appearance, we've made our producer Will, who's seen none of the good movies, watch Training Day and Inside Man for the first time.

But the question needs to be asked. Are you even a fan of Denzel's movies? Man, I'm probably the number one fan. He's probably one of my favorite actors. Does a tremendous job in his role really years ago in Training Day was probably one of the best because you never seen him play a character like that. So, yeah, I love his movies, love what he stands for.

And, yeah, I get a kick out of it sometimes. I've heard that over the years. Do you think they remind you do you think you remind them more of the Training Day character or the Remember the Titans coach?

Well, I tell you quickly, if you go back in history or even some of the present players that talk, they'll tell you it's probably a little bit more of the training days. OK, so we've made our producer watch these movies. He's seen it before. Give me another Denzel movie that maybe our producer can watch that he hasn't seen before. We've given him a few. Give it give us another.

There's one that you could throw out there. I'm trying to think of the one when his son was in the hospital. Oh, John Q.

All right. Yeah, that was phenomenal. You know, that was a good role there. And just being a father myself is just, you know, the love and passion that he had for his son and what he wanted to do for him. It just.

Yeah, that was a great movie. In press conferences like a couple of weeks ago, you pointed out there's always one person in the press conference that asked the question that gets on your nerves a little bit. I hope this conversation hasn't served as us being the one. But on the way out, since we're on in the triad, like just this state, you know, you're the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. There are, you know, Charlotte's a different city than Raleigh and the triad is different than other parts. But the Panthers are the one team that everybody seems to root for. So do you as being a North Carolina guy, true and true, do you have a sense for that? Like the entire state is behind what you guys do?

Yes. You know, it's great support here in the Carolinas and both North and South Carolina. And we have some of the greatest fans in sports. So to be a part of this in so many ways for being a local kid growing up here in Charlotte, always been a Panthers fan. It definitely resonates with me in understanding the magnitude of what I'm operating with. So, you know, I always tell, you know, you know, keep pounding. That's our mantra. Best of luck in Seattle. I'll see you next week, coach. Thanks for doing this. Thank you. You got to take care.