How Frank Reich Separated Himself in the Interview Process to Beat Out Wilks + Others
Panthers owner David Tepper, General Manager Scott Fitterer, and a handful of other executives met with and interviewed nine candidates for the team's head coaching job.
Last Thursday, that search came to an end as the they announced the hiring of Frank Reich, formally the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
Aside from Reich, the team interviewed Jim Caldwell (former Colts and Lions head coach), Steve Wilks (Panthers interim head coach at the time), Shane Steichen (Eagles offensive coordinator), Ejiro Evero (Broncos defensive coordinator), Ken Dorsey (Bills offensive coordinator), Mike Kafka (Giants offensive coordinator), Sean Payton (former Saints head coach), and Kellen Moore (Cowboys offensive coordinator at the time).
What separated Reich from the rest of the pack?
His vision for the franchise, but most importantly, how detailed he was in his pitch which included a deep contact list for his coaching staff, some of whom had given him "loose commitments".
"The first time through he laid out probably three or four deep at each position," said Fitterer. "And then we interviewed him about a week later and he went back and contacted coaches again and got more confirmation. Then even added to this list and said, hey, if we do this - what if we go to a passing specialist here...he went to a whole different level. Then just outside of just the coaching staff, it went to engagement, development, how to build a culture. So, there was like a second level of thinking."
The one item that stood out during Tepper's availability with the media was his admission that hiring a CEO-type of coach was "a mistake" and that a coach who excels on one particular side of the ball is the more appropriate way to go. All along it felt like Tepper wanted an offensive mind, something the franchise has never had at the head coaching position.
So if that was the plan all along, did interim head coach Steve Wilks truly have a shot at getting the job?
Tepper deflected any questions about the search and mainly mentioned how Reich impressed not only him but the rest of the Panthers' brass.
"First, I just want to thank Coach [Steve] Wilks for his time here and the job he did," the Panthers owner said. "I don't want to talk about the process as much as I want to talk about Frank's process. Frank talked about commitment to excellence. And that commitment to excellence begins with the coaches we get in the building and the process we have for getting coaches in the building in the future.
"The process we went through had to do with how we have the coaches in here and looking at the future. That was the process we went through. Everybody presented who they had and what they were thinking to help us win in the future and we really made that decision based on that."
Fitterer was more direct in his response to the question, stating, "He had a legitimate shot, definitely."
"Like, you have to give respect for what he did for this team during the year. He did a heck of a job leading us. He's a great man. But when it came down to it, I'm not going to compare Frank to Steve or anyone else. Frank during the interview process really separated himself. The first time he came in, he was dialed in, laid out his plan. Then when he came back the second time, he took that plan and went deeper to a different level. That's what separated him. All the respect in the world for Steve. He did a great job for us."
The next step for Reich is to get back to work on forming the coaching staff, which he has already made significant progress on. Earlier in the week, Joe Person of The Athletic reported that Reich will retain offensive line coach James Campen and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. Fitterer wouldn't confirm that bit of information but did note that they're in full pursuit of assistants around the league.
"I know he's made a ton of calls. He laid out a plan for us in the interview process. Some teams are still playing and a lot of times you have to get a coordinator in place first to see how it all shakes out but those calls are being made non-stop. We're putting in slips left and right for coaches and we'll see where it goes. I know he's got a good plan. If option 'A' doesn't work out, option 'B' is just as good."
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