CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich spent more than an hour laying out his vision for turning the team into a Super Bowl contender during his introductory news conference, explaining he wants to create a "brand of excellence" that will make Charlotte football fans proud.
Reich was formally introduced as the team's next head coach at Bank of America Stadium Tuesday. Several current and former Panthers players attended Reich's introduction, including Pete Metzelaars, who was on the receiving end of the first touchdown pass in franchise history thrown by Reich in 1995.
"The vision is clear," Reich said. "It's to create a brand of excellence. The top end is championships, the bottom end is we're a playoff team."
Reich said he quickly picked up on owner David Tepper's desire to win during the interview process. He said one of his top priorities will be tapping into Tepper's energy, expertise and innovation to be the best franchise in the NFL.
"Thank you to Mr. Tepper and Nicole Tepper for an incredible opportunity to come back home, to lead a team and a franchise in which we were here at the beginning," Reich said. "To take on new challenges and take us to new heights."
Reich said he still hasn't made any final decisions on who will call plays until his entire staff is assembled. Reich was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers and Eagles before taking over the Colts' head coaching job in 2018. His time in Philadelphia ended with a Super Bowl win in 2017.
"We're going to bring a style of football this city will be proud of," Reich said. "It's going to be exciting, it's going to be innovative."
General manager Scott Fitterer praised Reich's attention to detail throughout the interview process from the first time he met with Tepper and Fitterer.
"He was dialed in and laid out his plan," Fitterer said. "His second interview he went deeper."
During Tuesday's news conference, Reich laid out his "four pillars" of success in the NFL and identified the traits he looks for when scouting players he believes can be great.
Reich's unique homecoming as Carolina Panthers head coach goes beyond his time playing for the team and volunteering as an assistant for his brother's Wingate team. Reich said he and his wife established Charlotte as their home base years ago, and all three of their daughters went to school in the area.
His time in the Carolinas includes years spent studying at the Reformed Theological Seminary's Charlotte campus, a graduate school that trains people to go into Christian ministry.
"He was bright, sharp, a great student," Michael Kruger, a Reformed Theological Seminary professor and Charlotte campus president, said. "A great thinker."
Kruger taught Reich and got to know him well as the former pro football player looked to make the move to become a minister.
"He wanted to know the Bible better, know theology better, so he could share his faith more faithfully," Kruger said.
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