CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have fired first-year head coach Frank Reich after the team fell to 1-10, losing to the Tennessee Titans 17-10.
The Carolina Panthers defense forced the Tennessee Titans to punt on every single drive of the second half, but Bryce Young and the Panthers were unable to put together a game-tying drive.
With three minutes remaining in the game, the Panthers had one final chance to tie the game after a big defensive stop. On the would-be clutch drive the Panthers completed three passes without gaining a first down because of a sack that killed any momentum the drive had. Game over.
Just last year, Carolina fell to 1-4, had a home stadium takeover by visiting fans and experienced a blowout loss in the not-so-friendly confines of Bank of America Stadium. That loss was the final straw for the Matt Rhule era and he was promptly fired by owner David Tepper.
Fast forward one year, and the Panthers went 1-9 after a 33-10 loss to the Cowboys in front of a very pro-Dallas crowd. With fan apathy and rookie quarterback Bryce Young’s struggles squarely in the spotlight, it was only a matter of time until Frank Reich was let go.
But team owner David Tepper waited one more week to pull the plug on Reich. “F—,” Tepper yelled in the locker room after the Titans game on Sunday, according to media members who were at the game. Tepper’s frustrations are warranted. He has seen the Panthers struggle to a 30-63 record ever since he bought the team in 2018, including the team’s dreadful 1-10 showing this season.
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“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” Tepper says in a statement released on the team’s X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. “I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well. Effective immediately, Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as our interim head coach. Senior Assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play calling duties.”
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Hours after announcing Tabor as interim coach, the Carolina Panthers also announced the firing of Duce Staley, the assistant head coach of running backs, and Josh McCown, and the quarterbacks coach.
Reich was the first quarterback in Panthers’ franchise history in 1995. His firing in Carolina marks the second year in a row he was fired from the head coaching position as he was let go by the Indianapolis Colts midseason last year after four-plus seasons. He has a 41-35-1 record as a head coach. Reich took the Colts to the playoffs twice in four full seasons and finished below .500 just once.
The 2023 Panthers are a team that fans will quickly want to forget, but statisticians and cynical Carolinians alike can at least watch as the team sinks to lows that few teams in franchise history have resorted to.
In terms of the team’s record, the Panthers are 1-10, the worst mark since 2010, when the team finished 2-14. The all-time worst Panthers season was 2001, when the team finished 1-15. The Panthers can sink lower than that if they lose every remaining game this season to finish 1-16.
During this futile season, the Panthers have put up just 15.7 points per game, which ranks fourth-worst in the league and second-worst in franchise history. The worst scoring season in Panthers history was 2010 when Carolina scored just 12.2 points per game.
Carolina has managed just 92.6 yards rushing per game this season, the fourth-lowest total in franchise history, and the worst mark since 2001 (85.8). The all-time worst rushing season for the Panthers came in 2000 when the team had just 74.4 yards rushing per game, which was still just the third-worst total in the league that season.
One saving grace Panthers fans have when looking at awful seasons like 2001 or 2010 is that in the ensuing seasons, the team hired quarterbacks or personnel that guided the team to Super Bowls — Cam Newton, Jake Delhomme, John Fox, etc. However, the 2023 Panthers just drafted the player they hope is that difference maker and believed their new coach would be so as well. The steps the team takes in the offseason could prove to be vital for the franchise’s future.
But with the Panthers’ track record under Tepper continuing to add mileage to the loss column, it’s tough to see any signs of hope in the near future for Carolina.
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