By Stephen Juza

November 29th, 2023

In an unsurprising move, the Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich only eleven games into his first season with the team, giving him the dubious career footnote of being the only coach to be fired mid-season in back-to-back years. He is the second coach to be fired this year, joining former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels who was fired a few weeks ago. As the dust settles on this decision, let's delve into the specifics of Reich's firing and the challenges the Panthers faced under his leadership.

Reich's tenure in Carolina was cut short in the midst of his first season, a move predicted by our model as early as Week 5, reaching its pinnacle anticipation in Week 10. The Panthers, mired at the bottom of the NFL with a disheartening 1-10 record, are on track to finish the season with their worst record since at least 2010 when the team finished 2-14.

Hopes were high for Reich, known for his offensive experience, to rejuvenate a Panthers offense that hadn't ranked higher than 20th since 2018. However, after 11 games, the team found itself in the 29th spot in points and 30th in yards gained. The anticipated synergy between Reich and first overall draft pick Bryce Young fell short, with Young showing only moderate success compared to the standout performances of several rookie quarterbacks this season. In a year with a record number of rookie quarterbacks starting, the first overall pick being outshined by so many others raises concerns.

The firing of Reich adds another chapter to the Panthers' recent coaching turbulence. Just last year, the team parted ways with Matt Rhule after only five games into his third season, leading to a midseason turnaround under Steve Wilks and a 7-10 finish. The current regression raises questions about the team's decision-making and the direction in which they are headed.

While the team can now shift their focus to potential replacements for the 2024 season, our focus shifts to which other coaches could be joining Reich and McDaniels on the unemployment line, and perhaps Panthers fans who want the season to end can focus on a different thrill like Bally online casino slots to pass the time when the games aren’t on.

Jonathan Gannon

According to our model, Jonathan Gannon leads the pack with an 81% chance of being fired after the season. In his debut season with the Cardinals, Gannon's team sits at 2-10, tied for second to last in the league. While the team has struggled on both sides of the ball, the team should have starting quarterback Kyler Murray for the remainder of the season after missing the first nine games due to injury.

Brian Daboll Following closely behind is Brian Daboll, last year's Coach of the Year, with a 78% chance of being fired. After being the surprise team in 2022 and looking like a team on the rise, Daboll's second year in New York has not been kind, with a 4-8 record and tied for last place in the NFC East. The end of the season schedule is not friendly to the team either, with two of their final five games against the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles.

Brandon Staley

Brandon Staley rounds out the top three with a 60% chance of being fired, facing regression in his third season at the helm of the Chargers, who currently sit last in their division. Staley recently was fired up in a post-game press conference in which he defended his work and that he would continue calling the defensive plays. However, despite his experience on the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers have never ranked higher than 21st in the league in defensive points allowed during his three years at the helm.

With a month left in the season, the coaching carousel is just heating up, with several coaches likely to join Reich in the coming weeks.

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