Panthers select Reich for head coach

Frank Reich is returning to the Carolina Panthers as their coach, more than 27 years after starting the franchise’s first game at quarterback in 1995.

The Panthers announced Thursday that they’ve agreed to terms with Reich to become the sixth head coach in franchise history. An introductory news conference was set for Tuesday.

Reich was chosen from nine candidates who interviewed for the job, including former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and this season’s interim head coach, Steve Wilks.

Reich received a fouryear deal from the Panthers, according to a person familiar with the situation. He inherits a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017.

Reich, 61, joins the Panthers after spending the past four-plus seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, where he went 4033-1 as head coach before being fired on Nov. 7 after a 3-5-1 start. The Colts went to the playoffs twice as a wild-card team under Reich, going 1-2 in the postseason.

New job: Former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett was hired Thursday as the Jets’ offensive coordinator to replace Mike LaFleur. Hackett went 4-11 in less than one season as head coach of the Broncos . ... Bill O’Brien, who was the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2011 when the team went to the Super Bowl, is back with New England as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Out: The Buffalo Bills have fired safeties coach Jim Salgado. ESPN.com first reported the firing . ... The Dallas Cowboys are not renewing the contracts of six members of coach Mike McCarthy’s staff: senior assistants Rob Davis and George Edwards, offensive line coach Joe Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and quality control analyst Kyle Valero.