Tepper's decision to fire Frank Reich shows Panthers made a mistake not hiring Steve Wilks
It was the only choice with an anemic offense, a 1-10 record, and a regressing Bryce Young. Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich had to go. And David Tepper, the Panthers' hedge fund billionaire owner, pulled the plug on Monday. But underscoring the decision to make Reich the fasted coach to get fired since Pete McCulley […]
It was the only choice with an anemic offense, a 1-10 record, and a regressing Bryce Young.
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich had to go. And David Tepper, the Panthers' hedge fund billionaire owner, pulled the plug on Monday.
But underscoring the decision to make Reich the fasted coach to get fired since Pete McCulley in 1978 was the central mistake that derailed yet another Panthers rebuild before it could get started: Not hiring Steve Wilks.
Owners are terrible at hiring coaches — especially owners who continue to put their thumb on the scale instead of letting those they hired make decisions.
Tepper wanted Young. And to compliment Young, Tepper wanted an offensive head coach.
So in came Reich, who failed at his previous stop and failed the Panthers.
The Panthers have the NFL’s worst record and rank 28th or lower in nearly every major offensive category, including rushing, passing, scoring, and sacks allowed.
But Tepper wanted offense.
Forget that, with no quarterback under Wilks, the Panthers went 6-6 after starting 1-4.
Forget the fact that several players in the locker room campaigned for Wilks. Players stuck their necks out for the coach because his honesty let them play freely.
Forget that the NFC South was entirely winnable for the Panthers until the last week of the season under Wilks. That wasn't enough for Tepper, who appears to frequently be blinded and swooned by flash, while he also ignores substance.
Tepper had to fire Reich. It wasn't working. His hire always looked better on paper than it would in practice.
But leading up to hiring Reich, the principal mistake was not taking Wilks seriously as a head coach.
What remains unknown is if Panthers' general manager Scott Fitterer is also on the chopping block, whose many mistakes have also made life difficult for the rookie quarterback and underpinned the team's continued disappointment.
Tepper will have a chance to clean the house. The question remains, however, who will want to work for him as he continues to meddle and undermine success?
The answer is short: Not many.
