Bills Central

Bills legend lands major college football job

A former member of the Buffalo Bills is heading back into coaching, this time with a top college program.

Jeremy Brener

Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich watches his team play against the Chicago Bears in the second half at Soldier Field
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich watches his team play against the Chicago Bears in the second half at Soldier Field / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
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A former Buffalo Bills quarterback is back on the sidelines coaching once again.

According to college football reporter Pete Thamel, Stanford is hiring former Bills quarterback Frank Reich as its interim head coach for the 2025 season.

Frank Reich took over for injured Jim Kelly at the Meadowlands and led the Bills past the Giants
Frank Reich took over for injured Jim Kelly at the Meadowlands and led the Bills past the Giants / Staff file photo, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Imagn Content Services, LLC

"Sources: Stanford is hiring veteran NFL coach Frank Reich as the school’s interim football coach for 2025 season. Both sides have agreed this will be only a one-season agreement. At that point, Stanford will launch a national search," Thamel tweeted.

"Reich is a former NFL quarterback, longtime NFL assistant and OC and two-time NFL head coach. Reich brings a strong familiarity with Stanford GM Andrew Luck, as Reich coached Luck in his final season in the NFL with the Colts in 2018."

Reich, 63, was the Bills backup quarterback behind Jim Kelly from 1985-94. He is best known for starting the Bills' 1992 Wild Card game against the Houston Oilers, where he led the Bills to a comeback after being down 35-3 to advance to the Divisional Round.

Reich led the team to victory once again as they faced the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was relegated to the bench when Kelly returned from injury the following week in the AFC Championship.

Reich last coached in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers in 2023, but was fired in the middle of the season due to poor performance. Now, he heads to the west coast for a job with Stanford to fill in after the previous coach, Troy Taylor, was fired last week after allegations of bullying members of the Stanford football staff.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich watches a play in the second quarter pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills
Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich watches a play in the second quarter pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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