Panthers Hire Former Colts Head Coach Frank Reich as the Franchise’s Next Head Coach

Jan 26, 2023 - 7:44 PM

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It did not take former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich very long to find new work as he was just announced as the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers franchise:

The 61 year old will get a fresh start in the NFC South, where his new team, the Panthers, also face starting quarterback questions of their own (but have the 9th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and are also rumored to be thinking hard about the same position).

It’ll be a homecoming of sorts for Reich, who played for the Panthers during the 1995 season—as their first starting quarterback in franchise history.

During his five seasons with the Colts, Reich went 40-33-1 with five different opening game starting quarterbacks. He made the playoffs in two of his five seasons, but was fired after a disappointing 3-5-1 start to this year’s campaign. The Colts may presumably be able to get out of some of that prior salary commitment—with his new Panthers head coaching salary offsetting, as Reich was still reportedly owed some money by Indianapolis.

Reich and the Panthers will actually host the Colts some time next regular season:

When provided with a good starting quarterback option, Reich featured Top 10 offenses with the Colts. However, he could not overcome the shaky starting quarterback play and struggling offensive line performances this season. There’s also a question of whether Reich was holding the team’s top underperforming players accountable enough this year.

That being said, he was always regarded as a stand up head coach, gifted offensive mind, and a leader of men in the locker room.

We wish him the best in his newfound stomping grounds in Carolina.