CHARLOTTE, N.C. — David Tepper thought he’d nailed it this time.
After firing Matt Rhule in October 2022, the Carolina Panthers owner was determined to get his second head-coaching hire right. Tepper, the hedge-fund billionaire who bought the team in 2018, ran a more thorough search in looking for Rhule’s successor, focusing on coaches with offensive backgrounds after missing on what he called a “CEO coach” in Rhule.
After interviewing nine candidates, Tepper decided on Frank Reich, the former Indianapolis Colts coach and the starting quarterback for the first game in Panthers history. Tepper, with a net worth north of $20 billion, gave Reich a four-year deal and provided him the resources to hire an all-star staff that would help develop a rookie quarterback.
But halfway through Reich’s first season, Tepper already was contemplating another coaching change.
With No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young struggling and the Panthers owning the league’s worst record, Tepper warned Reich in early November he needed to see improvement on offense. Tepper had mortgaged the team’s future to move up to draft Young. The rookie’s development was stagnating under an avalanche of sacks and hits in the pocket.
After the Panthers scored just 10 points with Reich again calling the plays in back-to-back losses against Dallas and Tennessee, Tepper fired him Nov. 27. The Panthers were 1-10 under Reich, whose tenure was the NFL’s shortest in 45 years.
During a news conference the day after Reich’s firing, Tepper declined to elaborate on his decision, telling reporters they could “speculate as to that.”
The offensive problems and Young’s development doomed Reich. But there was a lot going on behind the scenes on Reich’s staff.
The Athletic spoke to more than 20 Panthers coaches, players and other league sources, some of whom were granted anonymity so they could speak freely. They painted a picture of dysfunction inside the Panthers’ offices, with assistant coaches undermining other coaches as many went into self-preservation mode when it became clear Reich’s days were numbered.
Team sources described a “Hunger Games” culture at Bank of America Stadium. Coaches said they believed other staff members were text messaging Tepper behind Reich’s back about issues they saw with the team. General manager Scott Fitterer and, separately, an offensive coach went to Tepper with a coaching suggestion for the quarterback. Fitterer had previously spoken to Reich about this issue.
“People just finger-pointing hoping they don’t get exposed,” said one assistant.
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2024-01-07 16:30:14
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