The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich on Monday just 11 games into his tenure.

The Panthers dropped to 1-10 after Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Special teams coach Chris Tabor has been installed as the interim head coach, the team announced.

“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in a statement Monday. “I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well.”

Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over offensive play-calling duties with help from senior assistant coach Jim Caldwell.

The Athletic reported Sunday afternoon that Tepper angrily exited the Panthers’ locker room after Sunday’s loss and shouted an expletive in frustration.

Reich was hired in January as the sixth head coach in Panthers’ franchise history. Tepper fired Matt Rhule in October 2022 after a 1-4 start to that campaign despite owing the first head coach he fired with the franchise more than $40 million.

Reich has three-plus years worth roughly $30 million remaining on his four-year deal.

Reich posted a 40-33-1 record in four-plus seasons in Indianapolis and guided the club to two postseason appearances.

–Field Level Media

New Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich said Tuesday that he will begin the season calling the offensive plays but will hand off the responsibilities at some point during the 2023 season.

Reich deferred on making that decision when asked about it during his introductory press conference Jan. 31. At the time, he said he wanted to wait until he filled out his coaching staff.

Now that Reich has a working staff – an exceptionally large and talented one – in place, including offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, he has a plan.

“The right thing for me to do for our team and for our offense right now is for me to continue to kind of use my experience” to call plays early on, Reich said. “There is going to be some point that I’m going to pass it off.”

When pressed on exactly when, Reich said he wasn’t sure but that it “will become apparent” when to turn over play-calling duties to Brown, adding that it won’t be easy.

Brown was the tight ends coach under Rams coach Sean McVay.

Reich reportedly has 19 coaches in place and could end up with 24-30 when he’s done. The Panthers are on pace to have the largest staff in the NFL. The latest: George Li has been hired as a game management coach, Reich said Tuesday.

Reich also said the Panthers will switch to a base 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who used a 3-4 in Denver.

“It’ll be a base 3-4 scheme,” Reich said. “But when we get in sub, it’s really multiple. There’s four-down, three-down, five-down. It’ll all depend on how Ejiro and the defensive staff wanna take advantage of our players’ strengths. We’ll be very multiple.”

Reich was also asked if the Panthers plan to bring in free agent quarterback Derek Carr.

“Interesting question,” Reich said. “We’re really literally sitting down with the guys today. First staff meeting will be tomorrow. But I’ve kind of met with guys individually saying, ‘Here’s what we’re doing. Step 1, let’s evaluate our roster.’ So, we’re really just starting that process. So, Step 2, evaluate the free agents. Everybody’s got their list. Step 3, now we’re going to the college guys.

“So, that process has literally (just) begun, so really not ready to discuss the specifics of that.”

The Panthers churned through three starting QBs in 2022 — Baker Mayfield was released in December after a 1-5 campaign, Sam Darnold (4-2) is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March and P.J. Walker (2-3) will be a restricted free agent.

Carr, an immediate free agent once the Las Vegas Raiders released him from his contract last week, has met with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets so far.

–Field Level Media

For the man who threw the first touchdown pass in team history, new Panthers head coach Frank Reich knows what the “secret sauce” is in Carolina, and it’s not the quarterback.

It’s the Panthers’ defense.

Reich was introduced Tuesday in Charlotte as the team’s new head coach, and while he continues to think about specifics of how it will be done, Reich promised a “standard of excellence” and roster collaboration.

Reich shook hands with current players who were in attendance before taking the stage. Some of his old 1995 teammates came out as well, including Carlton Bailey, Gerald Williams, Pete Metzelaars, Dwight Stone, John Kasay and Mark Rodenhauser.

“The standard is the best,” Reich said in his opening remarks. “That’s what we’re reaching for, nothing but the best. Let’s have a consistency of excellence in everything that we do. … At the top end is championships and the bottom end, we’re a playoff team.”

And unlike the previous tenure of the exiled Matt Rhule, the Panthers’ roster will be a work of collaboration between Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer.

“It’s not a one-man show,” Reich said. “It’s balance of power. Scott will have control of the 53. I’ll have control of who’s active, who’s not active. But, ultimately, that’s on paper. In reality, this is 100 percent collaborative. … We’re gonna tirelessly work where we’re gonna have the same vision.

“We’ll have disagreements. … We’ll have different ideas. But, ultimately, we’ll come together as one and decide who are the best players on this team and how to build this team,” Reich said.

The biggest roster question is at quarterback, where the Panthers cycled through three quarterbacks alone in 2022 — Baker Mayfield (six starts), Sam Darnold (six starts) and PJ Walker (five starts).

“You’ve got to have stability at quarterback,” Reich said. “We’ve learned to adapt, but that’s not the ideal situation.”

Reich added that figuring out the QB position will be priority No. 1 for himself, Fitterer and owner David Tepper.

But Reich knows what he has in his defense.

“I think the defense has been a real strong suit, been a top-level defense,” Reich said. “A top-five defense can elevate you as a team. Not only be in every game but find a way to win every game. We understand we’re in a league that is offensively driven, but kind of the secret sauce is create and build upon the momentum we have here, the players, the roster we have here on defense.”

Reich also said no decision has been made about whether he will call offensive plays. Though he enjoys it, he noted a trend of head coaches moving away from that. He said he wants to fill out his offensive staff before he makes a decision about play-calling.

–Field Level Media