Carolina Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich 1:10 into game
The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich after just 11 games, marking their shortest head coaching tenure since 1978.
The Panthers are 1-10, the worst team in the NFL.
In 1978, Pete McCulley led the San Francisco 49ers to a 1-8 start and was sacked nine games into the season.
Reich joins Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders as the only head coaches fired midway through the 2023 season.
Chicago Bears' Matt Eberfus has been a hot favorite all season long. Eberflus remains the favorite to lose his job, but he remains the head coach despite the Bears' 3-8 record.
Tepper fires coaches one after another
The Tennessee Titans defeated the Panthers 17-10 on Sunday in Week 12. The Panthers fell to 1-10 on the season and suffered four straight losses.
Team owner David Tepper attended Nashville's road game and wasn't happy with the team's start to the season.
I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will no longer be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers," Tepper said in an official statement. "I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service , we wish him all the best. "
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was named interim head coach. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown remains with the Panthers but has been relieved of play-calling duties. Senior associate Jim Caldwell will serve as game manager.
Fans were surprised defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was not named interim coach. Everlo was on the short list of potential head coaching candidates last offseason and is expected to be offered a head coaching job in the near future. Tepper passed on Everrow in favor of special teams coach.
The Panthers fired their head coach for the second straight year. After a 1-4 start last season, Tepper fired Matt Rhule after just five games. Rhule never got the chance to complete his third season as head coach. The Panthers went 11-27 during Rhule's brief tenure.
Tepper purchased the Panthers in 2018 for $2.2 billion. The Panthers are 30-63 and have yet to win since Tepper bought the team.
Reich was fired in consecutive seasons
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Reich midway through last season. Reich led the Colts to a 3-5-1 record through the first nine games of the 2022 season before Irsay decided to add some changes.
Reich compiled a 40-33-1 record with the Colts, but was just halfway through his fifth season. He used five different starting quarterbacks in five seasons with the Colts and still found a way to win. He led the Colts to the playoffs twice but had a 1-2 postseason record.
The Panthers hoped to sign Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason, but Johnson stayed in Detroit to continue working under head coach Dan Campbell.
After an exhaustive search, the Panthers decided to give Reich a chance. He was recruited for his offensive prowess and ability to work with young quarterbacks.
After a disastrous run with the Panthers, Reich now has a coaching record of 41-43-1.
Reich is a former NFL quarterback who spent several seasons with the Buffalo Bills as the backup to Hall of Fame star Jim Kelly. As a coach, Reich won Super Bowl LII as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the OC under head coach Doug Pederson, and the two joined backup quarterback Nick Foles after starter Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending knee injury. (Nick Foles) won a Super Bowl together.
Reich is the third head coach to lose his job in consecutive seasons. He joins Chip Kelly (2015 Philadelphia Eagles and 2016 San Francisco 49ers) and Ray Rhodes (1998 Eagles and 1999 Green Bay Packers).
Reich wants Stroud, Tepper wants Young
The Panthers own the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but acquired the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears in a trade. Tepper relied on an aggressive trade to select a franchise quarterback.
Reich and other coaches suggested the Panthers draft C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State, but Tepper insisted on making Bryce Young out of Alabama the No. 1 pick. Tepper ignored employee expertise, a move that backfired.
Young struggled in his rookie season with the Panthers. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans selected Stroud with the second overall pick, and he was considered the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year after a stellar season.
The Panthers' offense ranks fourth in the NFL with Young at quarterback, averaging 15.7 points per game.
Young didn't live up to expectations, but he played on one of the least productive offensive lines in the NFL. He also has few offensive weapons, with the Panthers trading dual-threat running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers before last season. Without a reliable running back, the Panthers allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns of the NFL season with just three.
The Panthers also traded wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Bears as part of a larger deal to move up in the draft and select Young. The Bears own the Panthers' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he is currently projected to be the No. 1 overall pick.
Betting on the Unlucky Panthers
The Panthers have the worst odds in the NFL this season, with a 1-8-2 point differential. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Panthers in Week 13, and even with quarterback Baker Mayfield injured, the Buccaneers are -5 favorites. Panthers/Buccaneers has a total of 37 points and an over/under of 37 points. The Panthers' bottom line is 8-3, their lowest-scoring team this season.
The Panthers have a +100,000 chance to win Super Bowl LLVIII, and despite winning just one game, they're still on the roster for the future.
At the beginning of the season, the Panthers' chances of winning the Super Bowl were +8000.
Read also:
- "Tampa Bay Buccaneers name quarterback Baker Mayfield the Week 1 starter."
- Vegas Music Roundup: Sphere More Harry Rumors, Ringo Returns, Fontainebleau Firsts
- Illegal gambling and money laundering spark major crime crisis in Singapore
- Pope County casino license remains unclear after Arkansas Supreme Court ruling
Source: www.casino.org
