What to Expect From Stanford Football Under Frank Reich

The Frank Reich Era on The Farm is officially underway. After being introduced on Tuesday before leading his first spring practice session in charge, the Cardinal are full steam ahead on preparing for the new season despite the situation that they are in.

Reich, who was hired as the interim coach for the fall campaign after the firing of Troy Taylor, is ready to bring Stanford football back to prominence.

But just how high of a ceiling does Stanford have with Reich as its coach? A longtime head coach in the NFL, where he led the Indianapolis Colts to two playoff berths, Reich has a track record of being successful.

That said, he has never coaching in college, so this season could prove to be more of a challenge for Reich, with the one-year nature of the gig adding an extra layer of complication.

But, with the current landscape of college football basically being run like a professional entity, Reich is entering the world of college football at a good time for someone who has only ever known what it is like to coach in the NFL.

During the introductory press conference, general manager Andrew Luck revealed that he would handle the duties that most college coaches deal with-- such as recruiting and alumni relations.

Focusing only on coaching football, Reich will be able to continue the development of the Stanford players while implementing a scheme that works best for his current players. Known for his elite offensive mind, the Cardinal could look to become much more of an offensive juggernaut this season.

What helps is that there have been minimal transfer portal entries by Cardinal players since Taylor was fired. Aside from losing a commitment from Nusi Taumoepeau and having players such as David Bailey and Mudia Reuben enter the portal, the roster remains intact, giving Reich the chance to work with a team that has managed to stay united.

In situations like what Stanford is going through right now, team unity can go a long way towards creating good chemistry that produces good results on the field.

Over the course of his coaching career, Reich has been known to get the most out of his players and bring out the best in them. After Luck missed the entire 2017 NFL season due to an injury, he came back even better in 2018, starting all 16 games while guiding the Colts to the playoffs with a 10-6 record, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors in the process.

With an up-and-coming quarterback in Elijah Brown expected to take over as Stanford's starting quarterback, having a former quarterback in Reich to develop him could help him achieve greatness.

Regardless of what happens on the field this season, bringing in a guy like Reich to put a band-aid on the current situation shows that Stanford is serious about returning to national relevance in football.

While he is technically a rookie coach in the college world, Luck instilled full confidence in him to restore the program and give new life to a team that has finished 3-9 in four straight seasons. Under Reich, Stanford not only should get better, but they could put themselves on the right track to sustainable future success.

Record prediction: 6-6