The Colts have hired Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as their new head coach, the club announced today. It will be a five-year deal for Reich, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link), who first reported Reich had agreed to terms with Indianapolis. Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com indicated earlier today that Reich was the favorite for the Colts’ vacancy.
Indianapolis, of course, was forced to restart its head coaching search last week after Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — who’d already been announced as the club’s choice — rejected the Colts’ offer. Reich was one of three candidates interviewed by general manager Chris Ballard, who also met with Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub was expected to be a candidate for the Colts, but was never interviewed.
Reich will reportedly utilize several of McDaniels’ staff choices as his assistants, as the Colts are expected to honor their contracts for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo, and defensive line coach Matt Phair, all of whom inked deals with Indy before McDaniels spurned the club. On the offensive side of the ball, the Colts are high on ex-Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, but it’s unclear if Reich will hire the free agent play-caller.
After helping lead a Philadelphia offense which ranked third in scoring, seventh in yards, and eighth in DVOA, Reich was expected to garner head coaching interest this offseason, but he didn’t receive a single interview request until the Colts called. It was a similar story last year, when Reich was thought to have a meeting lined up regarding the Bills open HC job, but never formally spoke with the club. Reich last interviewed for head coaching vacancies in 2015 when he met with both Buffalo and New York.
The 56-year-old Reich, who is perhaps best known for leading the Bills offense back from a 32-point deficit in a 1993 playoff game, has worked as an NFL coach since 2008. After spending time with the Colts and Cardinals, Reich was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15 before joining the Eagles the following year.
Philadelphia has now lost its top two offensive assistants from its Super Bowl-winning staff, as quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo is now the Vikings’ offensive coordinator. Running backs coach Duce Staley could be the favorite to take over as the Eagles’ OC, as Philadelphia is not expected to allow the division-rival Giants interview Staley for the same role on their staff.
I hope he knows what he’s getting into
Hope Ballard got it in writing this time lol
Ballard got the last one in writing lol
No he didn’t, it was all verbal, thats why the Colts can’t take any legal action.
Nope. Pay attention. Widely reported nothing was ever signed.
Kidding guys, calm down. Everyone on this app so quick to correct others, why is that?
Not worried about him as a coach at all. What sucks is he’s getting a late start on filling out the rest of the staff and I really hope for his sake and for the Colts fans sake that this GM does a good job at finally putting some talent on that team. Luck needs a O Line, a RB, possibly another WR and their Defense needs all kind of help. Good thing is they have some good draft picks and a good amount of cap. Not a Colts fan but as huge NFL fan I’d hate to see Luck come back and risk getting hurt again for nothing if they don’t help the guy out finally.
I would prefer Reich and DeFilippo over McDaniels. McDaniels sucks.
Reich is the only one on the colts
I agree, the last gig he had he sucked at being a HC.
Frank Reich well known for leading comebacks when down big. Did it in college, did it in the NFL, let’s see if he can do it as a coach.
Congrats to Frank, good man and good coach, hopefully it works out for him.
Love it hope we spite mcdaniels
Good for him!
DeFilippo is with the Vikings he is not with Reich on the Colts. Brady loves McDaniels and they have won multiple SB’s together. The Colts first choice was McDaniels so I think it’s safe to say McDaniels is probably a pretty good coach. We don’t know if he will ever be a good or great HC but someday we will probably find out and it will probably be with the Patriots but the QB will probably be some guy that’s in college right now. Should all be interesting. Succeeding the best coach ever won’t be easy for anyone.
So if McDaniels sucks that’s saying Brady the GOAT is an idiot. I don’t think that’s the case. I will say that I’m happy for Frank Reich and usually when things like this happen the second choice ends up being a really good one.
The Red Sox turned down Joe Madden for Terry Francona. Worked out pretty well for both but Madden became a pretty good Manager and Theo finally hired him and won a WS with the Cubs. Theo made out very well with both choices. I have a feeling Josh McDaniels and Frank Reich will both do pretty well only time will tell.
Great point. Doug pederson wasn’t the Eagles first choice either. Ben macadoo, Adam gase, and Tom coughlin were and look how that turned out for them.
Let’s see how Reich does. This is a good challenge for him. Taking Andrew Luck as a the QB who hopefully still has a years that he can go barring any further significant surgeries. If not he gets brissett in his second full year with valuable experience from year 1. Needs to address running game situation and maybe o-line. Given his contributions to he Eagles I’d say he’s the perfect man for this challenge. Good luck to him. No pun intended on Luck lol
Oh boy….
(Quantum Leap time)
Won’t matter if luck needs another “procedure”