Analyzing Frank Reich's Past Career, and What he Could do for Stanford Football

Sep 30, 2018; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and quarterback Andrew Luck (12) talk during a timeout in the second half against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

On March 31, Frank Reich was signed by Andrew Luck and the Stanford football program, with hopes of making a change.

After the sudden firing of two year head coach Troy Taylor after two straight 3-9 seasons, it seems as if Reich is under no pressure, and could truly make an impact next season. But before we look ahead to Reich’s Stanford tenure, let’s look back on his past coaching career, and the ups and downs.

Reich has been an NFL coach since 2007. From 2007-2011, Reich was an intern, offensive staff member, quarterback coach, and wide receivers coach before getting fired in 2011, as part of a massive coaching shakeup after the Colts finished 2-14.

Reich’s second and third tenure came and went quickly, as he spent one season as the wide receivers coach for the Cardinals, and the other as an offensive coordinator for the Chargers.

This is when Reich’s career took a quick turnaround, from struggling offensive coordinator of a bad team, to elite offensive coordinator for a Super Bowl Champion. In the 2016-17 season, the Philadelphia Eagles needed a new coordinator for their season, and they landed on Reich.

He went on to do a phenomenal job, where the Eagles won the Super Bowl, highlighted by the Philly Special, a play that Reich was in charge of.

He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts for the following season, as the head coach. He spent five seasons as coach of the Colts, where he brought them to a 40-33-1 record, and two playoff appearances in five years. In his fifth season, he was fired after a 3-5-1 start to the year.

In 2023, he was hired by the Carolina Panthers, hoping to bring them back to better days. In 11 games, he went 1-10 before getting fired.

Overall, he has had some ups and downs throughout his coaching career. Climbing the ranks from Colts intern, to a Super Bowl champion as an OC, and finally six years as a NFL head coach, Reich has had a splendid career as a coach. Given Stanford's need for a head coach and the limited market for coaches to draw from, the Cardinal did a pretty good job of finding the right guy.

Stanford hiring someone with NFL experience is a phenomenal idea, and the perfect hire for Stanford. We'll have to see what kind of an impact he can make on the program in 2025.