Robert Griffin III nominates Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh for Panthers head coaching job
The Carolina Panthers are officially on the hunt for a new head coach. After falling to the Tennessee Titans in a 17-10 game on Sunday, the Panthers and team owner David Tepper moved on from Frank Reich.
Former Washington first-rounder Robert Griffin III shared his preferred list of nominees to take over for Reich on Monday afternoon. His list includes some very high-profile names – including Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh.
Although there’s no indication Nick Saban would leave Alabama, Griffin’s suggestion would reunite the legendary head coach with quarterback Bryce Young. Meanwhile, he made no mention of the top reason why Jim Harbaugh may want to make a speedy exit from college football, but noted the Michigan coach’s success with quarterback development and building offenses.
Nominating two of the league’s best offensive coordinators Frank Smith and Brian Johnson makes sense. The Panthers certainly have a long way to go in that area. As for Eric Bienemy, his offense isn’t even among the top-15 this season with the Commanders, however, according to Griffin, it’s about time for the former Kansas City coordinator.
“Eric Bieniemy should have been a Head Coach 3 or 4 years ago,” Griffin wrote. “He has been interviewed 16 times by 15 NFL Franchises. He has 2 Super Bowl Rings, has been to 5 AFC Championship games as the OC, brings offensive innovation to the table and a tough no-nonsense mentality.”
Panthers, David Tepper fire Frank Reich after 11 games
Although the position of head coach of one of the 32 teams in the National Football League is a coveted one, the Panthers owner could have a tough time attracting the names Griffin suggested.
After firing Matt Rhule last season, the Panthers installed Steve Wilks as the interim head coach. Wilks went 6-6 as the interim and won four of his last six games before Tepper opted to go in a different direction – with Frank Reich.
Since 2018, Tepper has fired five different head coaches of his two teams – the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte F.C. He moved on from Ron Rivera in Dec. of 2019, Charlotte F.C. head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez in May of 2022, Matt Rhule in Oct. of 2022, Charlotte F.C. head coach Christian Lattanzio in Nov. of 2023 and now Reich.
The Panthers hardly gave Reich a chance, firing the head coach after a 1-10 start in his first season with the team.
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.
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.
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.