A Brief History of the Frank Reich vs. Bill Belichick Matchup

Time for these two former NFL foes to face off at the college level for the first time

Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks to the clock in the fourth quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Stanford football has another big game this week, but the magnitude of the game is heightened not because of the matchup, but because of who is standing on each team's sideline.

For the first time ever, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and former New England Patriots head coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, will face off in the college ranks after enjoying some memorable matchups against each other in the NFL.

Agreeing to a five-year, $50 million contract to be North Carolina's head coach last December, Belichick is in his first season ever as a college football head coach and currently has the Tar Heels at 3-5 (1-3 ACC).

Reich, the head coach of the Colts from 2018-22 before a brief 11-game stint as the Carolina Panthers head coach in 2023, took over as the interim head coach at Stanford after the firing of Troy Taylor right before spring practice. And while Reich and Belichick will renew their coaching rivalry this weekend, they have a rich history against each other in the NFL.

Holding a 1-2 record as a head coach against Belichick, Reich's first—and biggest—victory against Belichick came in Super Bowl LII, when as the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped guide the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory in franchise history, while also giving Reich his first, and only, ring. After that game, Reich officially became the Colts' new coach.

As a head coach, Reich first faced Belichick's Patriots in week five of the 2018 season on the road, losing 38-24 in what was a marquee quarterback battle between Andrew Luck and Tom Brady. The loss dropped Reich and the Colts to 1-4 in his first season in charge, but despite the start, the Colts still made the playoffs with a 10-6 record, winning seven of their last eight games.

Then in 2021, Reich got his only win against Belichick as a head coach, beating the Patriots 27-17 at home. In the game, Reich's former quarterback with the Eagles, Carson Wentz, threw for only 57 yards, but it was the big game from running back Jonathan Taylor that led the Colts to the win. Taylor carried the ball 29 times for 170 yards and a touchdown.

The final matchup in the NFL between the two coaches happened in week nine of the 2022 season, the final game that Reich would ever coach for the Colts before getting fired. On a three-game losing streak, the Colts hit the road again to face the Patriots, only to lose 26-3 while dealing with a slew of injuries.

Fired the very next day after the Colts started 3-5-1, Reich was replaced by interim head coach Jeff Saturday and sat out the rest of the season, before taking over as the Panthers head coach.

Now, Reich is back on a sideline with Stanford, and while his job with the Cardinal is only expected to last one season, a win over Belichick not only means that Stanford will surpass its win total from the previous four seasons, but, with Reich's coaching future uncertain, he could walk away with one final win over arguably the greatest football coach of all time. That's something to play for.