Published: November 27, 2023, 01:58h. 

Last updated on: November 27, 2023, 01:58h.

The Carolina Panthers have fired head coach Frank Reich after only 11 games, making it the shortest tenure for a head coach since 1978.

The Panthers have the worst record in the NFL at 1-10.

In 1978, Pete McCulley was dismissed after nine games when he led the San Francisco 49ers to a 1-8 start.

Reich joins Josh McDaniels from the Las Vegas Raiders as the only head coaches fired in the middle of the 2023 season.

Matt Eberflus from the Chicago Bears has been under scrutiny all season. Eberflus is still the betting favorite to lose his job, despite the Bears’ 3-8 record.

Owner Tepper Fires Head Coach in Back-to-Back Seasons

The Tennessee Titans defeated the Panthers, 17-10, in Week 12. The Panthers lost their fourth game in a row and dropped to 1-10 for the season.

Team owner, David Tepper, was in attendance and was not pleased with the team’s performance this season.

I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” Tepper said in an official statement. “I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”

Special Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor has been named interim head coach. Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown remains with the Panthers, but was stripped of his playcalling duties. Senior Assistant Jim Caldwell will take over as the play caller.

Fans were surprised that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was not named the interim head coach. Evero was on the short list of potential head coaching candidates last offseason, and he’s expected to land a head coaching job in the near future. Tepper passed over Evero in favor of the special teams coach.

For a second consecutive season, the Panthers have fired a head coach. Tepper fired Matt Rhule only five games into the previous season after a 1-4 start. Rhule never had a chance to complete his third season as the head coach. The Panthers struggled with an 11-27 record during Rhule’s brief tenure.

Tepper purchased the Panthers in 2018 for $2.2 billion. The Panthers are 30-63 and have yet to post a winning season since Tepper bought the team.

Reich Fired in Consecutive Seasons

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Reich in the middle of last season. Reich led the Colts to a 3-5-1 record through the first nine games of the 2022 season before Irsay decided to make a change.

Reich led the Colts to two playoff berths, but they were only 1-2 in the postseason. Reich joined the Panthers based on his offensive prowess and ability to work with young quarterbacks.

Reich Wanted Stroud, Tepper Wanted Young

The Panthers had the #9 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but traded up to acquire the #1 pick. Tepper insisted on making Bryce Young from Alabama the #1 pick over C.J. Stroud from Ohio State, against the advice of the coaching staff. This move backfired.

Young played behind one of the most ineffective offensive lines in the NFL and had very few offensive weapons. He also struggled with the Panthers’ offensive setup, and the team had the fourth-lowest scoring offense in the NFL, averaging just 15.7 points per game.

Betting the Hapless Panthers

The Panthers are the worst betting team in the NFL this season with a 1-8-2 record against the point spread.

The Tampa Bay Bucs host the Panthers in Week 13, and the Bucs are -5 favorites, despite dealing with injuries. The points total in the Panthers/Bucs game is set at 37 over/under, with the under going 8-3 for the low-scoring Panthers this season.

The Panthers are +100000 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII, and they’re still on the futures board despite only one win this season.

At the start of the season, the Panthers were +8000 odds to win the Super Bowl.