David Tepper defends diversity of Panthers’ staff, vows to break ‘old boys’ network’
Panthers owner David Tepper had an opportunity to hire a Black NFL head coach.
He did not take it.
Instead, on Tuesday, Tepper and the Carolina Panthers introduced Frank Reich as the franchise’s sixth full-time head coach. Reich, 61, checks all the boxes of what Tepper was looking for in a head coach. He’s a former head coach, just three months removed from being dismissed by the Indianapolis Colts. He’s a collaborator who will work in unison with ownership and general manager Scott Fitterer. Most importantly, he’s an offensive mind thanks to his 30-plus years of NFL experience as a backup quarterback and coach.
Reich also is one of 23 white NFL head coaches. In a league in which nearly 60% of players are Black, there are currently only three Black head coaches.
Carolina has emerged as the latest flash point in the ongoing debate surrounding an apparent double-standard in NFL teams’ hiring practices. Tepper, however, has defended his organization’s diversity.
“I think that you should look first at our executive team. And inside the building, look at who we have in different positions,” the Panthers and Charlotte FC owner said. “Our president is a woman. We have probably the most diverse executive team in the NFL. Right now, we have two African-Americans. We probably (have) a minority of white men on our executive team. That’s where it starts. That’s America. That’s the process I’m talking about here. You don’t want an old boys’ network.”
Reich and Wilks, finalists for the Panthers’ top job, are both former head coaches. Carolina executives interviewed nine candidates, seven of whom were white and considered offensive-minded. Only Wilks and Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who both have defensive backgrounds, are Black.
Tepper said the hiring process for all internal openings is focused on “breaking the old boys’ network.” There are, in fact, a number of diverse executives within the organization. Vice President of Football Administration Samir Suleiman has represented the Panthers at the NFL’s Coach and Front Office Accelerator, a two-day event designed to create leadership development and networking opportunities. Kristi Coleman, the Panthers’ team president, is one of the highest ranking women in the NFL. The team’s vice president of football operations, Steve Drummond, and its director of football communications, Bruce Speight, are Black. Other minorities include senior vice president and chief people officer Kisha Smith and general counsel Tanya Taylor, both Black women.
“You break (the old boys’ network) by trying to get the best people possible in every role you can. Whether it’s (our) new (general counsel), who happens to be an African-American woman, (or) whether it happens to be Frank Reich, who is a Caucasian male,” Tepper said. “I don’t care who it is. Whether we go through (an) offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator: Who is the best person? ... Not who you knew, but who is the best person?”
Tepper had a chance to break the “old boys’ network” by making Wilks the first full-time Black head coach in the Panthers’ history but believes he found the best person for the job in Reich, who went 40-33-1 in Indianapolis and made the postseason twice.
This story was originally published February 1, 2023 at 7:30 AM.
