Exploring Dave Canales' net worth: How much money has new Panthers HC made in the NFL?

Dave Canales is the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers, and the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator will inherit a team filled with immense potential. Panthers owner David Tepper has chosen Canales to take the job at the team with the worst record in the 2023 regular season, and he'll be expecting results in the not-too-distant future.

Canales is relatively new in the head coaching scene, so his net worth is shrouded in mystery. Most net worth tracking sites have pegged his value between $2 million and $5 million. According to Sports Monetize, the average yearly pay for an assistant coach in the NFL is $400,000 per season.

In comparison, the average pay for an offensive or defensive coordinator is about $1 million per year. Thus, this falls right into the general estimate of Dave Canales' net worth. Canales has been in and around the NFL coaching circles for over a decade, with the Carolina Panthers job being his first head coach role.

Whatever the amount was, Canales is set to receive a sizable increase upon becoming the head coach of an NFL franchise.

Dave Canales' NFL coaching career

Dave Canales had his first foray into the NFL in 2010 after being recruited to join the Seattle Seahawks as a wide receivers coach. Canales was personally scouted by Pete Carroll, whom he worked with as the assistant strength coach at USC. Canales won his first Super Bowl trophy when the Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 2013.

Dave Canales spent 13 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, serving in different roles on offense. For the first seven years of his tenure in Seattle, Canales was a wide receivers coach before occupying the roles of quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2018 to 2022.

The most significant achievement of Canales' time in Seattle was his work with Geno Smith after he became the starting quarterback in 2022 after the departure of franchise legend Russell Wilson. In 2022, Smith was phenomenal, earning a Pro Bowl nod and winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Canales departed from the Seattle Seahawks to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive coordinator. Canales replaced Byron Leftwich in his first year as a full-time offensive coordinator. Once again, Canales performed wonders with his team's previously maligned franchise quarterback.

This time, it was with Baker Mayfield, who has arguably the best season of his career under the tutelage of Canales. The Bucs reached the divisional round before being eliminated by the Detroit Lions. A few days after the loss, Canales accepted the head coach job at the Carolina Panthers.

How did the Carolina Panthers perform in 2023?

The Carolina Panthers had a forgettable 2023 NFL season. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 2-15 record and suffered some of the most embarrassing losses of the season in the process.

Despite selecting Alabama Crimson Tide alum Bryce Young as the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Panthers went scoreless in the last two outings of the regular season. Their games were hard to watch, and a sordid offensive line frequently exposed Young.

Dave Canales will have his work cut out in Carolina, and his work starts from day one. The Panthers must make smart free-agent moves, trade away or release some deadwood, and nail the 2024 NFL draft. It will be a long-term project, but at least they have an elite quarterback whisperer to begin the rebuild.