The Carolina Panthers "decided to pass" on hiring former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick because they didn't believe his coaching style would mesh with oversight from owner David Tepper, according to a report from ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler.

Tepper "often sifts through data to critique his coach's playcalling," Van Natta, Wickersham and Fowler wrote.

According to a source Van Natt, Wickersham and Fowler spoke to, that "is tough to do with Belichick as the figurehead."

The Panthers instead hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales in January. Canales will call plays while reporting directly to Tepper in 2024.

Tepper previously said he was looking at a "data-driven and analytics approach" after firing former general manager Marty Hurney in 2020.

"If you look at how people perform at different times in the game and make sure you have that understanding before you make a contract with somebody," Tepper said after Hurney's firing, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press. "How do they perform in a fourth quarter or how do they perform in a two-minute drive? You make sure that you have those data points, which would make sense when you're making a decision (just) as much as how you think they throw."

In November 2023, KOA Colorado's Benjamin Allbright described Tepper as a "notoriously interfering owner... down to the play calling."

Other reports have pegged Belichick as similarly involved in play calling in New England.

The former Patriots coach said in August 2022 that he had the "final say" on collaborative play calling, and later that season stepped in to occasionally call plays over headsets, according to NBC Sports' Josh Alper and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

That could have led to a potential clash between two leaders looking for ultimate authority over calling plays.

The Panthers "briefly" discussed pursuing Belichick ahead of the 2023 season, prior to him signing an extension with the Patriots, Natta, Wickersham and Fowler noted.

Tepper instead hired Frank Reich before firing him in November after 11 games. That marked the second straight season Carolina has parted ways from its coach in the middle of the season.

Since purchasing the Panthers in 2018, Tepper has worked with six head coaches, most recently interim coach Chris Tabor. Belichick may have been a poor fit, but the Panthers will hope they've finally found a long-term leader in Canales as they seek their first winning season since 2017.