The Panthers fired Frank Reich on Monday. Is there a chance he returns to Philadelphia with Nick Sirianni?
There was a clear question in Philadelphia following the announcement on Monday morning that Frank Reich had been fired by the Carolina Panthers:
Will Reich be added by the Eagles?
Reich served as Doug Pederson’s offensive coordinator during the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory, and he is also regarded as one of Nick Sirianni’s most significant football mentors. Reich was the one who hired Sirianni as his offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, and Reich was also the one who strongly suggested Sirianni to the Eagles in 2021.
However, as of Monday afternoon, Sirianni had little to say regarding Reich’s potential inclusion.
“I haven’t thought about that quite yet, because it’s obviously very early with everything that’s going on,” Sirianni remarked.
However, we are aware of Sirianni and Reich’s close relationship. Additionally, Sirianni and Reich remained in contact throughout Sirianni’s time as Philly’s head coach.
Additionally, we are aware that the Eagles have not hesitated to bring on new coaches for the duration of the campaign.
Marcus Brady, a former offensive coordinator for the Colts, was brought on as a consultant by the Eagles last November. The Eagles then brought in veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as a consultant in preparation for the postseason. Generally speaking, Fangio gave the offensive staff of the Eagles a defensive perspective, while Brady gave the defensive staff an offensive perspective.
Brady stayed on staff and was elevated to senior offensive assistant this offseason, while Fangio eventually left to take a job in Miami as defensive coordinator.
While Sirianni refrained from discussing the prospect of hiring Reich in 2023, he did address the addition of a coach in-season:
“When it comes to hiring someone in the middle of the year, a lot of the time it comes down to familiarity with the person,” Sirianni stated. “Thus, the familiarity and relationship with the coach are often factors that contribute to that.
“I’m not there yet, though. Of course, we have just completed our assessment of our performance and are now focusing on San Francisco.”
If familiarity is a necessary component, Sirianni and Reich clearly possess it.
All you have to do to see how much Sirianni cares about Reich is watch the Eagles-Colts game from the previous season, which took place a few weeks after Reich was fired. Sirianni became very emotional after the Eagles defeated the Colts 17–16 on November 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“I love Frank Reich, so yeah, you know, that’s why I’m emotional. I truly do,” Sirianni declared “following the match. He’s among the most amazing football coaches I’ve ever encountered.”
“Sure, I had hoped that we could coach against each other in this match, but he is one of my closest mentors.”
Only a few weeks after Reich was fired, Sirianni acknowledged that it was nice for him to travel to Indianapolis and come away with a victory.
The next query is whether Reich would be interested in joining a coaching staff for the current campaign. The 62-year-old coach hinted that his coaching career might be coming to an end in an interview with the Charlotte Observer, despite still receiving a sizable salary from the Panthers.
Reich told the Observer, “This is probably the last chapter of my NFL journey.”
However, that was also soon after David Tepper fired him. If Reich could find the right situation, he might go back to coaching.
And it might be pretty darn alluring to join a Super Bowl contender led by his biggest mentee.