Will a big-time splash finally wash out all the problems for the Carolina Panthers?
On Monday morning, the organization announced they parted ways with head coach Frank Reich—who was fired after just 11 games into his first season leading the team. Reich is now the third head coach to be fired under David Tepper’s ownership, a move that’ll spark the second search for the franchise in as many years.
So, who are the early favorites to become Head Coach No. 4?
BetOnline.ag has released its odds for Reich’s successor and they have a few marquee names for us, including one of the biggest fishes in college football and the second-winningest coach in NFL history . . .
Who will be the Carolina Panthers' next HC?
Ben Johnson (+500)
Jim Caldwell (+600)
Jim Harbaugh (+700)
Ejiro Evero (+700)
Eric Bieniemy (+900)
Brian Johnson (+900)
Mike Macdonald (10/1)
Bill Belichick (12/1)
Thomas Brown (12/1)
Bobby Slowik (14/1)
Dan Quinn (14/1)
Jerod Mayo…— Jaime Eisner (@JaimeEisner) November 27, 2023
While incredibly intriguing at the very least, the potential hiring of Harbaugh or Belichick would very likely fly in the face of what Tepper said about his previous hire of Matt Rhule. He told reporters, right after Reich’s introductory press conference in January, that he made a mistake by having a “CEO-type” head coach.
Given their current roles—as the czar of the University of Michigan football and the head coach/general manager of the New England Patriots—Harbaugh and Belichick would probably command a decent amount of control over the franchise. Would Tepper be open to handing over that power to a proven commodity?
The likelier candidate, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, tops the odds at +500. But will he be interested after withdrawing his name from consideration last offseason?
These questions may need some answers—and it’s up to Tepper to ultimately find them.
