Panthers fire Josh McCown, Duce Staley after parting ways with Frank Reich

After firing Frank Reich on Monday, the Carolina Panthers also parted ways with QB coach Josh McCown and assistant head coach/RB coach Duce Staley. With Reich, Staley and McCown gone, running the offense falls into the hands of Thomas Brown and Chris Tabor.

A former NFL quarterback, McCown joined the Panthers coaching staff in February and worked with first-overall draft pick Bryce Young. After a long career as a journeyman in the league, he became the QB coach after interviewing for the Texans head coaching job in 2021. Staley was also in his first season as the Carolina running backs coach after joining the organization from the Detroit Lions.

Carolina’s sole win so far this season came against the Houston Texans. It was a 15-13 victory. Through the first 11 games, the Panthers scored more than 20 points just three times.

With Thomas Brown assuming play-calling duties, it’s likely that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will continue calling the defense. Evero is in his first season as DC for the Panthers. Brown spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, first as running backs coach, then as assistant head coach.

David Tepper fires Reich after loss No. 10

The Panthers fired Frank Reich after a 1-10 start in his first season with the team. Carolina fell to the Tennessee Titans in a 17-10 game on Sunday, leading to team owner David Tepper moving on from the former Colts skipper.

The firing comes after the organization went all-in to grab rookie quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

David Tepper released a statement shortly after the news broke on Monday morning:

“I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well. Effective immediately, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will be a special advisor to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who will take over play-calling duties.”

As a head coach for the Colts and Panthers, Reich accumulated a 41-42-1 record. He went 40-33-1 with Indianapolis, with his best season reaching 11 wins in 2020. Prior to taking over his own teams, he was offensive coordinator for the Chargers and the Eagles.