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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Anthony Rizzuti

Chris Tabor asked about unflattering report of Panthers’ ‘Hunger Games’ culture

Carolina Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor did not volunteer any kind of tribute on Wednesday.

Tabor spoke with reporters this afternoon, just hours after a report from The Athletic painted an unflattering picture of a dysfunctional operation that has brewed in the organization. He simply said the following when asked about it:

“It’s been fine. I haven’t had a problem.”

Joe Person and Dianna Russini detailed the troubles within the building, including instances of harsh disagreements between staff members and micromanagement from owner David Tepper. Over 20 coaches, players and sources were interviewed for the report, with some describing it as a “Hunger Games” culture.

Person and Russini wrote that head coach Frank Reich’s staff, at least on offense, seemingly never got on the same page:

Tepper also encouraged Reich to go outside of his “circle” with some of the hires. As such, many of the offensive coaches had never worked together and brought different philosophies to an offense that would be led by a rookie quarterback from Week 1. Besides the disagreements in scheme, there were personality conflicts and factions formed on a staff that included two main holdovers from Rhule’s staff — offensive line coach James Campen and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, both of whom were retained at Tepper’s urging.

After being named interim head coach following Reich’s firing, Tabor made the decision to dismiss assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

Nonetheless, Tabor also affirmed that the staff gets along great.

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