Former Panthers HC Frank Reich on firing: ‘Probably the final chapter of my NFL journey’

Frank Reich shared his first comments on his firing in Carolina with the Charlotte Observer on Monday afternoon. The head coach, fired after 11 games this season, told Scott Fowler that the move by David Tepper was disappointing – and that the gig was likely his last in the NFL.

“There’s a heart-pounding disappointment in not hitting the marks that we needed to hit to keep this going and try to get it turned around,” Reich said. ‘It hurts me for the guys, the team, the coaches and the fans.”

Though Tepper pulled the trigger on Reich’s tenure in record time, the former Colts head coach told the Observer that there are no hard feelings. The Panthers even topped the Jaguars in terms of firing time. Jacksonville moved on from Urban Meyer two seasons ago after just 13 games.

“I want to convey that I have nothing but positive thoughts about Mr. Tepper,” Reich said. “On a personal level, I saw a side of him that I deeply respect and care about. But the NFL is a meritocracy. It’s not unconditional love.

“I understand from a professional standpoint Mr. Tepper is going to have certain standards that he expects to have met. I have no hard feelings, and my personal relationship was actually a real highlight of this short time.”

Despite the end of his very brief tenure, Reich will still receive the salary promised to him in his four-year contract. He turns 62 next week and he’s beginning to consider the end of his coaching journey. Although he will likely continue, his time in the big league may be done. He told Fowler: “This is probably the final chapter of my NFL journey.”

Panthers also fire two of Reich’s assistants

After firing Frank Reich on Monday, the Carolina Panthers also parted ways with QB coach Josh McCown and assistant head coach/RB coach Duce Staley. With Reich, Staley and McCown gone, running the offense falls into the hands of Thomas Brown and Chris Tabor.

A former NFL quarterback, McCown joined the Panthers coaching staff in February and worked with first-overall draft pick Bryce Young. After a long career as a journeyman in the league, he became the QB coach after interviewing for the Texans head coaching job in 2021. Staley was also in his first season as the Carolina running backs coach after joining the organization from the Detroit Lions.

Carolina’s sole win so far this season came against the Houston Texans. It was a 15-13 victory. Through the first 11 games, the Panthers scored more than 20 points just three times.

With Thomas Brown assuming play-calling duties, it’s likely that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will continue calling the defense. Evero is in his first season as DC for the Panthers. Brown spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, first as running backs coach, then as assistant head coach.

Reich told the Observer he believes the team is in a position to find success with the foundation he put in place.

“I want to say that I believe there is a strength and character of leadership in that locker room that is at such a high level and is so strong,” Reich said, “that there’s no doubt in my mind that there is a foundation for all the success that this team is going to have.”

The Panthers next game comes on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.