The Carolina Panthers announced on Monday that they have fired their head coach Frank Reich. The move ends Reich’s stint with the franchise after only 11 games.
The Panthers announced the news with a statement from owner David Tepper, who thanked Reich for “his dedication and service”. Tepper said that special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will take over as a head coach on an interim basis.
Reich is out after the Panthers suffered a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The loss dropped them to 1-10, the worst record in the league.
The Panthers hired Reich in January and later traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to take Alabama’s quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick. The expectation was that Reich, given his reputation as an offensive guru, was an ideal candidate to develop Young and turn him into a franchise signal-caller.
However, the Panthers never managed to get their offense going this season, with Reich even giving up playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown at one point. Young, on the other hand, didn’t do much to help the cause, completing 61.7% of his passes and throwing for 1,877 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The Panthers are reportedly expected to pursue an offensive-minded head coach once again. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is considered to be the favorite for the job, having interviewed with the team before Tepper opted for Reich.
