NEWSLETTER
The first head coaching domino has fallen as the Panthers have hired Frank Reich as their new head coach this afternoon.
Ian Rapoport was one of many with the breaking news this afternoon:
On Wednesday, it was reported that Reich was emerging as a strong candidate for the Panthers’ job. Now it’s officially confirmed that Reich will indeed be the next head coach in Carolina.
The former Indianapolis Colts head coach got a second interview with the Colts this week. While interim head coach and Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore also got second interviews, it was Reich in the end.
Ian Rapoport said that Wilks was a strong candidate and interviewed well on both occasions, but David Tepper preferred Reich.
Reich was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 until this season. He was fired by Indianapolis mid-season. Reich posted three winning seasons in Indianapolis, including a pair of 10-win seasons.
Before being the head coach in Indianapolis, Reich was the offensive coordinator of the Eagles when they won the Super Bowl in 2017.
Reich was also the Panthers’ first quarterback in franchise history, so it’s a homecoming of sorts for Reich and the Panthers. After a stint in Buffalo as the backup (who led the Bills to what was at the time the biggest comeback in NFL history), he came to Carolina in 1995 as the first starting quarterback in franchise history.
The Panthers made the news official this afternoon as well with a news release:
