Former Panthers head coach relies on the help of an old friend to get back into the NFL after spending two years out of the league
Frank Reich will be back on the NFL sidelines in 2026.
The NFL coaching cycle is all but complete with 10 new teams officially finding their new head coach for the 2026 season and now coordinator positions are starting to get filled around the league as well.
The Carolina Panthers got some peace of mind going into the 2026 season with essentially the entire coaching staff set to come back next season under head coach Dave Canales. The only one really ever in question was defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who received support from the organization after the season but had strong interest from the Las Vegas Raiders for their vacant head coach position.
With the Raiders going a different direction, the Panthers now know for sure that Evero will be back in 2026. But, the Panthers still got some other outside news during the hiring cycle involving a former head coach landing a new position in the NFL.
Frank Reich hired as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets
Former Panthers head coach Frank Reich was hired by the New York Jets on Wednesday morning for the offensive coordinator position under head coach Aaron Glenn. Reich and Glenn have some history together with the organization after being teammates together in 1996.
“Frank has a rare combination of experience, creativity, and calm under pressure,” Glenn said in his statement after the hire was announced. “He’s lived this game from every angle – as a quarterback in this league and as a coach who’s led offenses at the highest level. He is unique in his ability to see the game for what it is right now and adapt when appropriate. Frank understands offense and how to utilize the strengths of players. I am looking forward to how he will help this team have success.”
This is the first NFL opportunity for Reich since being fired by the Panthers, 11 games into his first season with the organization back in 2023. After being fired, Reich served as the interim head coach at Stanford University during the 2025 season, a program where his former quarterback Andrew Luck serves as the general manager. Now, Reich is relying on another friend to get back in the league.
Reich’s tenure with the Panthers was forgettable at best. The Panthers were 1-10 when Reich was fired and the offense had scored 15.7 points per game during those 11 games with first overall pick Bryce Young under center as a rookie.
“I don’t know if that ultimately ended up being fair to Bryce,” Reich said in August, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport. “It wasn’t because of Thomas [Brown]. He brought an ‘A’ game every day. Myself and the other guys that were with me, we were doing the same thing. In many respects, we brought it together the best we could. It probably made it a little more difficult for Bryce.”
What doomed the Panthers that season was the back and forth between Reich and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown when it came to play-calling.
Reich handled play-calling duties for the first six weeks with the offense scoring 10 offensive touchdowns with 294.7 yards per game with an 0-6 record. Brown handled the duties starting in Week 8 after the bye week with the unit two offensive touchdowns with a 1-2 record in three games. Reich sensed the change in the wind and took back play-calling duties as a final act of desperation but was ultimately fired after Week 12.
It’s was a crucial lesson that Reich learned the hard way as a head coach. As an offensive coordinator, however, Reich has always been a bright mind leading a Top-10 scoring offense in two of his four seasons with the Chargers and Eagles.
Reich will now look to bring that level of success to the Jets offense that has ranked 24th or worse in scoring in each of the last seven seasons.
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