The Frank Reich era is over for the Carolina Panthers, who decided to part ways with the head coach after a 1-10 start to the 2023 NFL regular season. While Carolina has already named an interim replacement for Reich, the Panthers are still expected to search for a permanent man for the job.

Panthers move on from Frank Reich

Panthers coach Frank Reich, who was fired after Week 12 by owner David Tepper. Chris Tabor is now the Panthers interim coach.

One of the early names floated as potential head coach for the Panthers is current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Johnson got Carolina's attention back in the offseason before he ultimately decided to stick with the NFC North squad.

“The #Panthers targeted #Lions OC Ben Johnson a year ago before he opted to stay in Detroit. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they made another run at him, among others. For now, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor takes over as interim coach as the search begins.”

Reich's dismissal grew too inevitable for the Panthers, who were compelled to make the decision with the hopes that a fresh start atop the coaching tier would spark Carolina, which is lagging way behind in the league, both offensively and defensively. The Panthers are putting up just 15.7 points per game while allowing 26.5 points per contest.

Meanwhile, the Lions are having success on offense most of the time with Johnson, who could be a potential key to unlock the full potential of quarterback Bryce Young. So far in 2023, the Lions are seventh in the league with 26.7 points per outing and third with 268.5 passing yards per game.