The Carolina Panthers are looking for another new head coach following Monday’s dismissal of Frank Reich — who was let go after just 11 games in charge. Owner David Tepper had seen enough of Reich, who struggled to maximize rookie quarterback Bryce Young — the #1 overall pick in April’s draft — and oversaw Carolina‘s tumble down the standings, the Panthers‘ 1-10 record being the NFL‘s worst.
However, better times might be on the horizon. After all, Young is only a rookie, and the arrival of a new coach with infectious energy and an ability to work with Tepper could help turn the tide in Carolina. That figure could be former Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, who reportedly would like to descend from the broadcast booth and take over for Reich next season.
Olsen’s strong ties to Carolina
According to The Athletic, Olsen would be interested in becoming the Panthers‘ new head coach if Tepper and Carolina approached him for the job. Olsen, who retired after the 2020 season, has been a color commentator for NFL broadcasts on Fox since 2021 and can be heard on its top broadcasting crew each week.
Olsen spent most of his career in Carolina after joining the franchise in 2011. He was a Pro Bowl selection each year between 2014 and 2016, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark each season and helping the Panthers reach the Super Bowl after the 2015 season.
One reason why Olsen might jump at the chance to coach Carolina is that from next season, Tom Brady will supplant him as the #1 analyst on Fox broadcasts. Olsen, whose only coaching experience is Pop Warner football, could see 2024 as the perfect time to make the difficult leap into coaching.
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Continued ownership issues
Olsen — or whoever the Panthers hire — will have to find a way to work with Tepper, the hedge fund manager who is growing more and more impatient as he tries to put together a winning product at Bank of America Stadium.
It was Tepper who insisted on trading up in the 2023 draft to take Young over C.J. Stroud, the prohibitive favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. It’s true that Young is only in his first season, but the former Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama has struggled to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. He’s thrown just nine touchdowns against eight interceptions, suffering from his small stature as well as a lack of skill players around him.
Making matters worse for the Panthers is that their 2024 first-round pick — currently projected to be #1 overall — belongs to the Bears, after Carolina dealt a number of assets to Chicago for the right to select Young earlier this year. This will hamstring the Panthers‘ efforts to build a winner, and it makes the job even less attractive for prospective candidates.
