coach Rollie Dotsch. Stanley was later signed by the Michigan Panthers to serve as their head coach, a position he held in 1983 and 1984. His 1983 team won the league championship after starting off 1–4. Following the poor start, Stanley recognized that his offensive line was too porous to allow rookie quarterback Bobby Hebert to succeed and so he lobbied management to bring in some veteran NFL offensive linemen to fill the gaps. Management addressed the issue by signing a bevy of experienced offensive linemen: Tyrone McGriff and Thom Dornbrook of the New York Giants and Ray Pinney of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dornbrook and McGriff made USFL all-league teams in 1983 and Pinney was considered one of the best tackles in the league. The team finished the regular season 11–2 and then ran through the playoffs defeating Jim Mora's Philadelphia Stars. His 1984 squad looked like a favorite to repeat, going 6–0 to start the season, but then star wide receiver Anthony Carter was lost for the season. Combined with reports of player salary complaints, that led the team to go 4–8 for the remainder of the season. The Panthers were eliminated in the first round by Steve Young's Los Angeles Express, 27–21, in a hard-fought, triple-overtime game. It was pro football's longest game and the Panthers' last. Stanley finished with a 24–15 record in the USFL. After the season, the majority of USFL owners, led by New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump and Chicago franchise owner Eddie Einhorn voted to move the league to a fall schedule. Panthers' owner A. Alfred Taubman had no desire to compete head to head with his friend, Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford. Following the vote, the Panthers delegation surprised the league owners and commissioner by announcing the team would be merged with the Oakland Invaders in a pre-negotiated conditional deal. The new team went with a new head coach, Charlie Sumner. Stanley returned to the NFL. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as defensive line coach before moving up to defensive coordinator in 1986. He was a defensive coach for the Houston Oilers for six years before joining the Arizona Cardinals' player personnel department. He retired as the Director of Player Personnel for the Cardinals after serving in that role for 12 years. Stanley was involved in the acquisition of quarterback Kurt Warner by the Cardinals. Warner's play was key in