Frank Reich To Call Panthers’ Plays

Frank Reich has both been a non-play-calling OC and a play-calling head coach. After indicating he was not certain to run the Panthers’ offense upon being hired, the second-chance HC confirmed he will do so Tuesday.

Carolina’s new coach said he would be the team’s play-caller to start the season, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (on Twitter), though he stopped short of saying he planned to keep this responsibility throughout his tenure.

“I’ve laughed with Thomas about that already. I said: ‘I’m gonna pass it off at some point. I don’t know when,’” Reich said. “And I think there will be a time and a place. I think it’ll become apparent when that is. But I think the right thing for me to do for our team and for our offense right now is for me to continue to use my experience there.”

Reich calling plays in Charlotte makes sense. He held this role throughout his five-season Indianapolis tenure, and his path to the Carolina gig centered on offensive knowhow. The Panthers wanted an experienced, offense-oriented HC; that allowed Reich to beat out Steve Wilks for the job. Had Reich immediately ventured into CEO territory, it would threaten to lessen his impact on his new team.

Reich held non-play-calling OC roles in Philadelphia and San Diego ahead of his Indianapolis stay — one that produced top-10 scoring offenses in 2018, ’20 and ’21. The Colts’ offense regressed considerably last season, and Reich was out of the picture by the midway point. But his overseeing top-10 offenses in two post-Andrew Luck seasons is certainly impressive, given the instability that late-summer retirement created for the Colts.

New Panthers OC Thomas Brown waits next in line to assume this responsibility, and Reich certainly made it sound like that could happen. Brown spent the past three seasons on Sean McVay‘s staff, coaching tight ends and running backs. Brown, 36, is viewed as a rising talent in the coaching ranks, and he spent three years as the University of Miami’s OC in the late 2010s. Taking the reins in Carolina would accelerate his path toward a head coaching job.

Additionally, the Panthers will use a 3-4 scheme under new DC Ejiro Evero, per ESPN.com’s David Newton (on Twitter). The former Broncos DC utilized this alignment — in base sets, at least — during his strong Denver debut. Reich also credited David Tepper (via Person) for backing up his words on spending to fill out the coaching staff. Evero interviewed for all five HC jobs, while Brown drew HC interest from the Texans and interviewed for multiple OC roles elsewhere. The Panthers have also hired Jim Caldwell, Dom Capers and Josh McCown, creating an interesting assistant roster for Reich.