Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper fires head coach Frank Reich after less than a year

The Carolina Panthers’ head-coaching carousel will continue to spin under owner David Tepper.

On Monday, Tepper fired head coach Frank Reich following a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Reich, who was also the first starting quarterback in franchise history in 1995, lasted just 11 games (and went 1-10) as head coach.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as the interim head coach, while offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will retake play-calling duties.

“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well,” Tepper said in a statement. “Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as our interim head coach. Senior assistant Jim Caldwell will be special advisor to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play-calling duties.”

Carolina Panthers under coach Reich

Reich, 61, was hired in January to much fanfare.

He compiled a notable staff upon his arrival, hiring the likes of Brown, Caldwell, Josh McCown, Duce Staley and Ejiro Evero to help lead his new roster. But from the preseason on, the Panthers’ offense looked stagnant, even with No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Bryce Young, leading the unit.

Along with Reich, Staley — the team’s assistant head coach and running backs coach — and McCown — the quarterbacks coach — were also fired Monday, a league source confirmed. NFL Network first reported their dismissals.

Staley worked closely with Reich as well as free-agent running back Miles Sanders. McCown was asked to guide Young in his first year as an NFL position coach. Both McCown and Staley’s units underwhelmed under the overarching guidance of Reich.

The Panthers started 0-6 under Reich. Following the Week 7 bye, Reich — a lauded offensive mind — handed off offensive play-calling to Brown, a first-year offensive coordinator.

The Panthers averaged just 11.3 points per game during a three-game stretch with Brown calling plays. Despite winning their first game of the season with Brown in control, Reich retook play-calling duties after an embarrassing 16-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on national television in Week 10.

“This is not about Thomas — this is about me, this is about the team,” Reich said earlier this month. “I’m in the position I’m in because of years of being a successful offensive coordinator and play-caller. We have eight games left and I just want to give my attention, and everything I can do and everything I can bring to bear, to help the offense take a next step.

“It’ll still be collaborative. Thomas will still be running the show as far as the offense and all the install meetings and game-planning. He’s still at the center — he and I working together like we’ve been all year. So, I trust Thomas — more than anybody — and he’s helped me become a better coach and a better man. So, this isn’t about that — this is about the team, this is about us all playing the role that we think can help us these last eight games.”

The Panthers scored 10 points in back-to-back matchups with Reich, again, in charge of offensive play-calling — losing both games despite strong performances from the defense.

“I think it’s important to be the same person when you come in on Mondays,” Reich said Sunday after the loss to Tennessee. “The ‘contract’ at the beginning of the year is every Monday we come in with the same mindset. Watch the film, play-by-play, figure out what we can do better. Win or lose. We are looking more at the corrections that need to be made more than the good things because that’s how you get better. You get frustrated, so sometimes you can get a little heated, but everybody understands that we all know that frustration. The guys have been great. We come in on Mondays, everybody is accountable, coaches and players. And we know we need to get better week-to-week.

“We’ve got three division opponents coming up, starts this week in Tampa. What are you going to do, you are 1-10? Are you going to feel sorry for yourself? Is there something that is going to magically fix everything? No. We lost a close football game today. These games are winnable. That message doesn’t fly when you are 1-10 but I know these games are winnable. I know we have the players and the coaches to do that, so we regroup, and we get ready for this week.”

But Reich won’t get another week as his 11-game tenure in Carolina came to a historic close before preparation for Week 13 began. His limited tenure is the shortest in the NFL since 1978 for a non-interim head coach and is the second-shortest in league history, according to ESPN.

With six games left, the playbook that Reich and Brown constructed led to the unit being ranked 30th in total yardage, 29th in points per game and tied for 29th in offensive touchdowns. Young failed to eclipse 250 passing yards in a game, and the Panthers’ run game only scored three touchdowns in 11 matchups.

Reich becomes the third full-time head coach to be fired by Tepper since taking over as owner in 2018. He chose not to hire former interim head coach Steve Wilks — who went 6-6 during his run last season — in favor of Reich this offseason. Reich wasn’t given the lenience of his predecessor Matt Rhule, who went 11-27 in two-plus seasons with the franchise. Ron Rivera, who Tepper inherited in 2018, was fired midway through his second season under the then-new ownership in 2019. Rivera went 12-16 during his tenure with Tepper.

Tabor becomes the third interim head coach of Tepper’s ownership run. Wilks and Perry Fewell preceded Tabor, and neither interim leader was retained following his time at the top.