Carolina Panthers Set to Hire Frank Reich as Head Coach

Frank Reich giving an interview during the Super Bowl LII Opening Night in 2018
Frank Reich giving an interview during the Super Bowl LII Opening Night in 2018. Photo by Charles Baus/CSM/REX/Shutterstock (9342840bm)

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Frank Reich is set to be announced as the team’s new head coach on Monday, multiple sources have claimed. He is expected to sign a four-year deal with the team.

Reich, who was the Panthers’ first quarterback when they started playing in 1995, was previously the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts; a position he was dismissed from in November. He becomes the sixth head coach in the Panthers’ history as well as the first one to be offensive-minded.

Panthers owner David Teper chose Reich after conducting a search that came up with nine candidates, including interim head coach Steve Wilks and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Ultimately, Teper favored Reich’s offensive-mindedness over Wilks, who has more experience in defense. Reich’s involvement in offensive calls is expected to largely depend on who he hires as an offensive coordinator.

Seven of the nine candidates had offensive backgrounds, with the team prioritizing solving its quarterback problem. The team’s offensive line has been in decline since quarterback Cam Newton experienced shoulder problems in 2018.