Dallas, We Have a Problem
How does a medicore coach land with a very talented team? Well, I was quite surprised too. By now Coach Carpenter is offically in the sophomore season of his Redzone career. Not many coaches get this sort of opportunity, this early on. The NFC East is home to three coaches whom have all won Super Bowl rings. With arguably the best roster in the East, the Cowboys took a leap of faith and hired the young, fiery Carpenter.
"Excited is an understatement. This is an incredible opportunity to get better as a coach," said Carpenter in his press conference. As mentioned before, the East has quite a bit of coaching experience to boast. "There is no doubt in my mind this will be a learning experience for him. He has the keys to a Lamborghini when he's used to driving a Civic," said an anonymous source. Going from a team that was in a complete rebuild to a team competing for a division title is without a doubt, a big change.
I'm going to be paying close attention to how Carpenter handles the pressure that is going to be applied. Will he succomb like he did in the NFC South, or will he rise to the occasion? Adelman, Snyder and Beech have all proved themselves in this league, and will definitely know how to get under Carpenter's skin. It's almost football season and right now, judging from his track record, I'd most certainly say: "Dallas, you have a problem."
Keep Hatin
I think that once it is all said and done, these words will live in Redzone history. Yes. These were once the words of Coach Carpenter when being hassled about his future in the Redzone League. I think many coaches would agree with me that the feud between division rivals Mojica and Carpenter was one of the most interesting ones of the cycle. While Carpenter often found himself in many disputes with other coaches, none was more fiery than the one that brewed in the NFC South. Mojica was clearly the more dominant coach in the series; however, Carpenter always came back with the same bark.
I do not know the exact stat line for the series between the Saints and the Panthers; however, I do know that it was not in the Panthers favor. “I came in underestimating the talent. I didn’t realize what awaited,” stated Carpenter. Many coaches entering the league for the first time tend to underestimate their opponents and the inevitable learning curve. “As much as I hate to lose I’ve learned from the best in this league. Sharing a division with coach Moji is a challenge alone. In my experience I’ve never met anyone quite like him. His confidence, his skill, his knowledge, everything that makes him the coach he is. We have taken many losses from his squad. But I am a better coach because of him.”
Coach Mojica was Carpenter’s first and, ironically, last game of the cycle. The week 16 matchup would be the last time the two face off in the same division and furthermore, as rivals. The Saints came away with the win inside the Mercedes Dome in a 21-20 thriller. Just like that, a cycle long of animosity seemed to be over. The two coaches shared a moment together following the game and ever since, foes became friends. "I've reached out to him a lot. He is a coach that knows how to win and he has been very willing to share his knowledge with me,” said Carpenter at the conclusion of the season. The Panthers were able to return the favor to Mojica's Saints by defeating the Falcons in week 17. The win by the Panthers clinched a playoff berth for Mojica's last ride in New Orleans.
The future of these two coaches seems very bright and with the coaching carousel around the corner, it will be interesting where the two end up. “Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything. I needed to learn the hard way. I needed to be humbled.” Humbled he was. Falling short of the playoffs in all eight seasons with Carolina, being the blunt end of many jokes and taking his fair share of losses, Coach Carpenter stands defeated. Only time will tell if the league will indeed “Keep Hatin.”
Speed Doesn't Always Kill
Chapter 1
Welcome to the League, Rook
Young. Fiery. Short Fused. Confident. These are just a few words to describe one of the leagues newest coaches, Zach Carpenter. Coach Carpenter has spent years in other leagues; however, the ambitious coach will soon learn that none of his recent experiences compare to the mammoth that we know as: The Redzone.
Let’s take a trip back in time. The month is October. Carolina is off to an 0-4 start and the team is in shambles. A press conference is called and shortly after, an interim head coach is named. Zach Carpenter, the defensive backs coach, is given the reigns. Our story begins here.
At an early age, Carpenter fell in love with the defensive mentality that his father coached with. He is also an avid Nebraska Cornhusker fan so, naturally, he was influenced by the “Blackshirts.” The Panthers didn’t have much, but they had young, defensive stars like Donte Jackson and Brian Burns. They had established veterans like Luke Kuechly and Kawann Short. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and this was just enough to fire up the defensive-minded coach.
In Carpenter’s first game, there was already a lot on his plate. The league didn’t know what they were getting, and neither did the Panthers organization. Ranking last in every category, question marks all over the depth chart, Carolina was about to face a team that was its complete opposite. That team is the New Orleans Saints, and their coach, Mike Mojica. Coach Carpenter and Coach Moji meet for the first time, and boy, we had no idea of what was in store for seasons to come.
I’ve decided to save a whole chapter for that matchup, so we won’t touch on that too much right now. Coach Carpenter faces much hardship ahead, but they are the early challenges of what all the great coaches in this league have faced. Handfuls of quotables, interesting takes and questionable moves will all be brought back into the light. Welcome to the league, Rook.