Why Frank Reich Can't Be a One-and-Done
The Frank Reich era could not have gotten off to a worse start. Winless through the first six games of the season after heightened expectations from the front office and fan base doesn't bode well for the Panthers head coach.
The good news for Reich is he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Well he shouldn't be, right?
That's a great question. Since David Tepper purchased the team, he has swiftly moved through coaches and made several changes to the organization. On the head coaching front alone, the Panthers went from Ron Rivera to Perry Fewell (interim) to Matt Rhule to Steve Wilks (interim) to Reich, all in a matter of five years.
Patience is wearing thin and even Reich admitted that his weekly meetings with Tepper would not be described as "fun".
"He's super competitive. He wants to bring a winner to the Carolinas. He wants it now," said Reich. "He pushes me and pushes us to that end. He wants to do whatever it takes and turn over every stone, churn it as much as he has to produce winning football. I appreciate those conversations. They're always very challenging. He's a super competitive person and he's not going to sit idly by."
Does this mean there's already pressure on Reich not even halfway through year one? Well, in some ways, yes. There should be. He hired a rockstar staff, has the No. 1 overall pick at QB, and has nothing to show for it. At the same time, Scott Fitterer didn't do him many favors by entering the season with depth issues all over the place.
Firing Reich after one season is not only admitting you were wrong but it also puts a major stain on the franchise. It's going to be difficult to attract a coach knowing that there is little to no patience. Yes, there are only 32 head coaching jobs but some coordinators have opted to wait for the right opportunity and situation instead of nosediving into the wrong one.
And if we're being honest, this team was never set to make a run at the playoffs because of the depth. Key injuries to Jaycee Horn, Shaq Thompson, Brady Christensen, and even Austin Corbett remaining out have hindered this team. Not to mention, it's going to take more than three months to get the exact body types and skill sets in the building that fit this coaching staff's scheme.
It may not look pretty right now and odds are it's going to get worse before it gets better. But the one thing Tepper cannot do is can Frank Reich after one season at the helm.
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on X:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
X - @AllPanthers_ and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
