Frank Reich is officially the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers. What are the positives and negatives of this decision?
After completely botching the decision of Ron Rivera’s replacement in 2020 with the hiring of Matt Rhule and his eventual firing following a 1-4 start, Dave Tepper was searching for the team’s second new head coach in just five years.
Tepper leaned more towards a new coach instead of promoting Steve Wilks to the full-time role after he turned the 2022 season around. Of course, the new coach is Frank Reich.
On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced that Reich is the organization’s next head coach, chosen over other finalists Kellen Moore and Wilks. The former quarterback stood out above the other candidates for a couple of good reasons, but there is some cause for concern about how his tenure will go.
So what are the positives and negatives of the Panthers hiring Reich? And what is the future outlook of Carolina with him as the new coach?
Positive No. 1
Carolina Panthers have an experienced coach in Frank Reich
After the disastrous Matt Rhule hiring, David Tepper seemed to learn from his mistake of acquiring someone with no NFL head coaching experience.
Frank Reich was with the Indianapolis Colts as their head coach for 74 games. He’s also been an offensive coordinator in the NFL for four seasons before that, so this previous knowledge is incredibly valuable.
Reich being around the league for so long demonstrates superb NFL-caliber coaching and leadership. Not only that, but he will know how to treat and coach Carolina Panthers players correctly on and off the field – something that was an important factor under Steve Wilks.
Carolina Panthers players backed Steve Wilks
Throughout Steve Wilks‘ time as Carolina Panthers interim head coach, leaders in the locker room vouched for the respected figure to get the job beyond 2023.
Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte reported that players, including captains, accepted and respected the decision to hire Reich. But it is difficult to believe fully buy-in nearly as much as they did with Wilks.
"“A group of 10-15 Panthers players (captains and other leaders) made it well known to the Panthers brass that they understood the Frank Reich hiring and were excited, despite the public support for Steve Wilks. Reich is well respected.”"
Reich is a well-respected figure across the league, and he is a professional through and through. But another coaching change after a player-favorite coach who led the team for 12 games was passed up could be difficult for those within the locker room to immediately accept.
Team culture was a large factor in Carolina’s impressive turnaround in 2022. Despite Reich’s experience and leadership, it will be tough to have the same buy-in as they had when Wilks was the interim coach.
What comes next for Wilks is uncertain. However, the former Arizona Cardinals head coach is unlikely to be out of work for long given the immense impact he made across the Panthers.
Carolina Panthers get a proven QB developer
Once the head coaching search began, the message was clear. If Steve Wilks was not going to be hired by the Carolina Panthers, the appointment would likely be an offensive-minded figurehead who can work with quarterbacks.
Frank Reich is a perfect fit.
Before becoming Indianapolis Colts head coach, Reich was with the Philadelphia Eagles as the offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season. The same campaign when Carson Wentz played at an MVP level and Nick Foles did just enough not to become a problem.
With the Colts, Reich worked with Andrew Luck for one season. And they fielded a top-10 offense overall.
In his other four seasons with the Colts, they had offensive rankings of
- 2019: 25th in yards, 16th in scoring
- 2020: 10th in yards, 9th in scoring
- 2021: 16th in yards, 9th in scoring
- 2022 (9 games under Reich): 27th in yards, 30th in scoring
These ups and downs of the offensive output can be attributed to inconsistency under center after the shock retirement of Luck. If Reich has a good quarterback, his offense will perform at a high level.
Reich is a proven offensive guru in the NFL. Whoever is under center for Carolina in 2023 will be thrilled to work with a former quarterback and a coach who knows how to scheme things up effectively.
Frank Reich’s Colts teams were inconsistent and mediocre
Frank Reich’s tenure with the Indianapolis Colts was a mixed bag, despite his respectable 40-33-1 record. He did not make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons despite the weak AFC South and the talent he was able to work with. The figurehead did not finish with a record better than 11-5.
- 2018: 10-6 record, losing in the divisional round
- 2019: 7-9 record, no playoffs
- 2020: 11-5 record, loss in the wild-card round
- 2021: 9-8 record, no playoffs
- 2022: 3-5-1 record, fired after nine games
Some of the blame can be put on not having a franchise quarterback. But even with Andrew Luck as his signal-caller in 2018, the Colts finished 10-6. And based on his recent history in Indianapolis, Reich’s teams have had a low ceiling of success.
Not everything can be put on the head coach, and there is a good chance Reich’s tenure with the Carolina Panthers will go better, but finishing every campaign around a .500 record without any conference championship appearances or division titles is concerning.
Conclusion to the Carolina Panthers’ hiring Frank Reich
Reich was the best choice outside the organization to become Panthers’ head coach. He is aggressive, offensive-minded, and knows how to get the most out of his quarterbacks.
However, Steve Wilks had the entire team behind him to become the permanent choice after his stint as interim head coach in 2022. While Reich’s track record as a head coach is respectable, his Colts teams did not reach too much success during his time in Indianapolis.
Despite those concerns, Reich was still a solid hire. He will lead the Panthers toward being a competitive franchise that can compete with anyone – something that has been missing since Ron Rivera led the charge.