The Carolina Panthers’ decision to fire head coach Frank Reich Monday didn’t surprise anyone who’s been following the team in recent weeks.
Panthers owner David Tepper announced the firing with the standard platitudes (“I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service”) and then said special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as the interim coach.
Really, this might have been the least surprising head coach termination in recent NFL history. Tepper reportedly left the Panthers locker room after Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans shaking his head and shouting “****.”
That led some NFL insiders to speculate Reich might be gone within the day, and that’s what happened.
Reich finishes with a record of 1-10 in his only season in Carolina, but many people checking in on X/Twitter feel he was a scapegoat, and that Tepper himself is a big part of the problem with his hands-on ownership style.
Crazy they fired their head coach, When the owner should be partly responsible for what he put the team through in the offseason
— Mathew V. Liberto (@The_Suntrip) November 27, 2023
They should’ve never hired Frank Reich because they should’ve made Steve Wilks the head coach! We’ve trash since Tepper bought the team..
— Mac (@Mac2zero) November 27, 2023