Panthers hire Frank Reich as head coach

The Carolina Panthers have their new head coach: Frank Reich.

Reich, who was fired last season as head coach of the Colts, has been hired as the new head coach of the Panthers.

The 61-year-old Reich went 40-33-1 in four and a half seasons as head coach of the Colts. He made the playoffs twice. He has previously been an offensive coordinator of both the Eagles and Chargers, and an assistant with the Cardinals and Colts before that. He had a 14-year playing career as an NFL quarterback, mostly as a backup.

Now he takes a Panthers team coming off a 7-10 season, and a team that needs to find its franchise quarterback. Whether that means taking a quarterback with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NFL draft or bringing in a veteran remains to be seen, but Reich has been hired largely because of his experience with the quarterback position, and in the hopes that he’ll groom the next franchise quarterback in Carolina.