CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CHARLOTTE SPORT LIVE) – It wasn’t as if many Panther fans had something against new hire Frank Reich; it was more that they had developed a fondness toward former interim head coach Steve Wilkes.

“I thought Wilks really had the team,” said lifelong fan Harrison Moore. “I thought for the last five or six games there; he really turned the team around.”

And yet here we are, on the dawn of another new era in Panthers history.

There’s plenty of excitement, but there’s also a shade of jade.

As in been there, done that.

“It’s pretty much back to square one again,” said Adam Francischiello, who says he’s followed the team since its first snap. “We’ll see who it goes, but Tepper personally isn’t my favorite.”

Regardless of where fans stood on the coaching hire, both sides agreed; they wanted results yesterday.

“I think him coming in with a splash, getting a really good offensive coordinator will win over everybody,” Moore said.

While there’s plenty of skepticism in the air, all remain hopeful.

“I’ve been through the good and the bad and the ugly,” said Johnathon Griffin.

Because to these fans, ‘Ride or Die’ isn’t just a catchphrase.