| Carolina Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 7, 1981 Harbor City, California, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Carson (Carson, California) |
| College | Azusa Pacific (1999–2003) |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | 8–15 (.348) |
| Postseason | 0–0 (–) |
| Career | 8–15 (.348) |
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |
David A. Canales (born May 7, 1981) is a professional football coach who is the head coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). [1] Canales played college football at Azusa Pacific from 2000 to 2003.
Canales was born in Harbor City, California. He attended high school in Carson, California at Carson High School. After graduation from high school in 1999, Canales enrolled at Azusa Pacific University and played wide receiver for the Cougars, starting for one season. As a senior in 2003, he led Azusa Pacific to the NAIA Playoffs, finishing in ninth place.
From 2004 to 2006, Canales started coaching high school football in his home state of California at his alma mater, Carson. Canales moved to the college ranks in 2007 as the special teams and tight ends coach at El Camino College. After helping El Camino to the SoCal Regional Semifinals in 2008, he moved to USC in 2009, where he was an assistant strength coach. From 2010 to 2022, he served as a longtime assistant coach with the Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll, working in multiple capacities on the offensive side of the ball. In 2023, Canales also was the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he helped guide the Buccaneers to the 2023 NFC South Divisional title, winning the wild card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, before losing to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
On January 25, 2024, Canales left Buccaneers, signing a six-year contract to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, leading them to a 3-game improvement in his first year as head coach.
Born in Harbor City, California, on May 7, 1981, Canales is the son of Ritha and Isaac Canales. [2] His mother and his father are of Mexican ancestry. [3] Dave and is brothers, Josh and Coba were born in Harbor City, while his father was a pastor at Mission Ebenezer Family Church in Carson, California. [4] Canales attended Carson High School in Carson, graduating in 1999. [5] As a junior in 1997, Canales played defensive back and was named first-team All-Southern Pacific League. The following year he switched to quarterback, where he again was named first-team All-Southern Pacific League. [6] He also participated in track and field and baseball.
Canales received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in business administration from the Azusa Pacific University in 2003. [7]
In February 1999, Canales committed to play football for Pete Shinnick's Azusa Pacific Cougars football team, then a NAIA program. He made the transition to wide receiver. In his college career, Canales recorded 27 receptions for 293 yards and one touchdown. [8]
Sources: [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
Azusa Pacific Cougars | |||||||||
| Season | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yards | Avg | Yds/G | TD | |||||
| 1999 | 1 | 45 | 45.0 | 6.4 | 0 | ||||
| 2000 | 7 | 40 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 0 | ||||
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | ||||
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | ||||
| 2003 | 19 | 208 | 10.9 | 20.8 | 1 | ||||
| Career | 27 | 293 | 10.9 | 12.2 | 1 | ||||
Canales began his coaching career serving as the head coach and offensive coordinator of the freshman/sophomore team at his alma mater, Carson High School, from 2004 to 2005. [14] [15]
Canales made the jump to college coaching in 2006 by joining El Camino (Calif.) College. [16] He served as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator in his first year, before transitioning to quarterbacks coach in his final season with the team (2007–08). During his tenure, the school won the California Community College State Championship in 2006 and also secured two Mission Conference titles.
During his time at El Camino College, Canales formed a relationship with Pete Carroll, the head coach of the USC Trojans. In 2009, Canales joined Carroll at USC, where he served as an assistant strength coach for one season. [17]
In 2010, Canales followed Carroll after the latter's acceptance of the Seattle Seahawks' head coaching position. [18] He won his first Super Bowl title when the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. [19] Canales spent 13 years with the Seahawks, serving in a variety of capacities on the offensive side of the staff. [20] From 2010 through 2017, Canales served as wide receivers coach, coaching prominent players such as Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Tyler Lockett. He later took on the roles of quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2018 through 2022. [21] Canales was credited with assisting in the resurgence of quarterback Geno Smith's career. In the 2022 season, Smith was highly effective as the team's starting quarterback and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year, while also earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. [22]
On February 16, 2023, Canales was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator under head coach Todd Bowles, replacing Byron Leftwich. [23] .
On January 25, 2024, Canales signed a six-year contract to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. [24] [25] Canales got his first win as the Panthers' coach on September 22, 2024, in Week 3 at the Las Vegas Raiders 36–22. [26] In his first season as the Panthers head coach, Canales led the team to a 5–12 record. [27]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CAR | 2024 | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 3rd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| CAR | 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | TBD in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 8 | 15 | 0 | .348 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
Canales is married to Lizzy Canales, who he met while attending Azusa Pacific University. They have four children. [28] He is of Mexican descent. [29]