Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper defends head-coaching turnover after making Frank Reich his FIFTH victim since buying the team in 2018: 'I do have patience'

Panthers owner David Tepper refuses to believe that Carolina's rapid turnover at head coach will hinder his team's search for Frank Reich's replacement.

Tepper was responding to reporters' questions one day after Reich became the fifth NFL or MLS head coach to be fired by the billionaire hedge fund manager since 2018. In addition to the Panthers, Tepper also owns MLS' Charlotte FC, which is currently searching for its third head coach in three seasons.

But while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Tepper dismissed questions about his frequent firings, insisting he's a patient businessman and refuting the suggestion that Carolina's turnover is detrimental to its ongoing search for another head coach. 

'I do have patience,' he said. 'My reputation away from this game is of extreme patience.

'I'd like to have someone here for my eulogy in 30 years. OK, maybe 40 years.'

Since 2019, the Panthers have had six head coaches or interim head coaches, including

Ron Rivera, Perry Fewell, Matt Rhule, Steve Wilks, Reich and, now, Chris Tabor.

On Tuesday, Tepper defended both his decision to fire Reich, although he didn't necessarily communicate his reasoning to reporters.

'I'm not going to get into it here,' Tepper said. 'There are different reasons why different things happen.

'You guys see like I said, everything is on the field. Everything is known over time. People know it. The league knows it. If everything was perfect, it wouldn't be the case. If everything was good, it wouldn't be the case. So it's not as if it's not known out there.'

Carolina is 1-10 this season and 30-63 since Tepper purchased the team. If the 2023 season ended today, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft would go to the Panthers based on their NFL-worst record. But Carolina already traded that pick to Chicago to move up and select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young in this year's draft.

Tepper also defended the team's decision to draft quarterback Bryce Young first overall, saying the Panthers unanimously agreed he was the right choice.

But No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans) has been a standout among the first-year QB crop. Tepper claimed Young was the No. 1 player on the team's draft board and said he didn't offer his own personal input until draft day.

'Originally we were gonna go to the No. 2 pick and we thought we'd get C.J., because we thought the Texans were gonna pick Bryce (Young). And listen, we preferred Bryce, he was our No. 1 pick, we had a lot of conviction,' Tepper said. 'It's just not the way the process was done.'

Tepper insisted of the choice to draft Young, 'We were totally confident in that pick, we made the pick first. For me, I'm totally confident in that pick.'

Panthers media relations ushered Tepper away from the microphone while questions were still being asked of the owner.

Tepper did not answer a question about the future of general manager Scott Fitterer.

Tabor followed Tepper's press conference and said the decision to part with quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and running backs coach Duce Staley was a decision he made on his own 'to improve the team.'

Tabor also said he took the interim head coach position with no assurances that he would receive an interview for the full-time position.

Tepper, listed by Forbes as the fourth-wealthiest owner in the NFL, owed Reich $30 million for the final three-plus years on a four-year contract. That's in addition to payments owed his first hire, Matt Rhule, who Tepper fired last October with more than $40 million left on the contract he signed in January 2020.

Under new NFL rules, the Panthers can't interview any coach employed by an NFL team this season until January 22.