The Tennessee Titans’ 17-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 was the final straw for owner David Tepper, who went on to fire head coach Frank Reich on Monday morning.
The Panthers announced the decision to fire Reich in the midst of his first season as head coach via a statement from Tepper that was posted on X.
I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well. Effective immediately, Special Teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as our interim head coach. Senior Assistant Jim Caldwell will be a special advisor to Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play calling duties.
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 27, 2023
The Titans’ defense absolutely dominated the Panthers in Week 12, and while that was the nail in Reich’s coffin, Carolina’s struggles on offense have been a season-long thing after they drafted Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick.
The writing was on the wall that Tepper might make a change after he could be heard dropping an F-bomb on his way out of his team’s locker room following Sunday’s defeat.
This is the second time the Titans have helped end a Frank Reich head-coaching tenure.
Tennessee won five straight against the Reich-led Indianapolis Colts from 2020 through 2022 before he was fired in November of the latter year.