New Panthers coach Dave Canales wept Thursday as he talked about the role his wife, Lizzie, played in helping him become an NFL head coach.
Canales recounted his first game as JV coach at Carson High School (Calif.) 20 years ago, when he lost 34-13 against Venice High School.
Lizzy watched from the stands with “35 crazy parents,” but that blowout loss set the stage for the rest of his coaching career.
“That was the best day of my life because I found it. I found my passion,” Canales said. “And after two years of doing that, she came to me and I knew that all I wanted to do was be the head coach at Carson High School. That’s what I wanted to do. . Get us back to the top, win the championship, and after hearing it all, she said, “Hey, don’t get me wrong, I love your dreams, you’re really good at this.” , I think you can go as far as you want, and I’ve got your back, and I’ll make it happen.’Whatever we have to do, it’s going to happen.’ And she did.
“She would sometimes work three jobs and tell me the hard truth. When I had a problem with a player or a coach, she would say, ‘What do you have to do? You know, we need to sit down and have a conversation.’ And she was all ‘to me.’
“This is our journey, this is our dream, and we’ve been so excited and prepared for this opportunity. So, thank you and we love you, baby.”
Canales and his wife’s relationship has been full of successes and hardships, and the two co-authored the 2022 book, This Marriage? The question that changed everything. ”
In his book, he reveals how he cheated on his wife, added pornography and struggled with binge drinking.
Canales first cheated on his wife at a bachelorette party and admitted to multiple affairs.
Early in their marriage, Canales would take off her wedding ring when going out with friends and act as if they were never married.
“Since we started dating, I have been binge drinking and going out with friends without Lizzie,” Canales wrote. “Even before I cheated on her, I was already inside. My bad habits and addictions made it hard for me to resist temptation. I knew that even before we started dating. It was a pattern.”
The couple wrote this book to reveal how their Christian faith helped them overcome an affair and Dave overcome his addiction.
“Many people are shocked when we tell them this,” the couple write in the book. “For some people, it’s incredibly uncomfortable and perhaps even guilt-inducing. For others, it’s like a breath of fresh air, and it’s a way of thinking about their own relationships.” It’s like an invitation to dig deeper.”
