Second-chance coaching hires have generated tremendous modern-era success. That coaching path is responsible for 12 of the 21st century’s Super Bowl championships. Bruce Arians, Andy Reid, Gary Kubiak, Pete Carroll, Tom Coughlin and Tony Dungy join Bill Belichick in celebrating titles after being fired or, in Arians’ case, retiring from their previous NFL HC positions.
Frank Reich will aspire to join that club, which also includes coaches from the 1990s (Dick Vermeil, Mike Shanahan). The recently fired Colts HC said Tuesday (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell) he wants to coach again.
“I think you keep all your options open,’’ Reich said. “Obviously, my desire is to be a head coach. I love the game. I love everything about the game, so you keep all of your options open.”
Given Reich’s work during his first four Colts seasons and his offensive coordinator role for a Super Bowl LII-winning Eagles team that notched three playoff upsets to claim a championship with a backup quarterback (Nick Foles), he figures to generate considerable interest. Although Reich will be 61 when the 2023 hiring period commences, it would be quite surprising if he was not interviewed come January. Reich is 40-33-1 as a head coach. He reeled off three winning seasons during his Indy tenure, doing so despite Andrew Luck‘s 2019 retirement setting the franchise back.
While Jim Irsay insisted the Colts jettison Carson Wentz, the scrutinized passer ranked in the top 10 in QBR during his Colts season. The Wentz trade and his late-season descent, however, almost certainly put the wheels in motion for Reich’s ouster. Leading the Colts to an 11-5 playoff season, Philip Rivers fared better under Reich than he had during a 20-INT 2019 season. Both the Rivers- and Wentz-led Colts offenses ranked in the top 10 in scoring. Reich’s Matt Ryan– and Sam Ehlinger-led attack has not; Indianapolis enters the Jeff Saturday stretch in last offensively. Parks Frazier, who joined Reich as his personal assistant in 2018, is now set to call Indy’s plays.
After hiring Matt Rhule from the college ranks, the Panthers are believed to be seeking a more experienced NFL leader. If the Broncos do decide to make Nathaniel Hackett a one-and-done, they would likely be interested in seeing if Reich and Russell Wilson were a fit. The Cardinals extended Kliff Kingsbury through 2027, but the ex-college coach’s fourth season has not gone well. Reich was a Cardinals assistant in 2012.
With 10 teams having hired coaches this year, fewer openings will exist in 2023. Sean Payton‘s status could also impact Reich. But Reich connections will presumably take place in the coming weeks and months.
He’s a very good coach. I’d take him
Panthers should hire him immediately
He’s absolutely one of the best candidates on the market.
“Second-chance coaching hires have generated tremendous modern-era success”.
Hugh Jackson (Cleveland) 3-36-1
Marion Campbell (Philadelphia) 17-29-1
Harland Svare (San Diego) 7-17-2
Romeo Crennel (Kansas City) 4-15
Dan Henning (San Diego) 16-32
Ray Perkins (Tampa Bay) 19-41
Mike McCormick (Baltimore) 9-23
Dom Capers (Houston) 18-46
“21st Century” so you name a bunch of guys from last millenia, a guy who coached an expansion team and a couple of Browns coaches.
Great job proving their point
Please define “modern-era” so I can avoid making the same mistake again.
Just read the sentence right after the first one. They clearly define where their data comes from.
Didn’t Carroll and Belichick start by exiting out with losing records?
Trends tend to look bad when you cherrypick all the bad outcomes, yes.
It’s easy to present a skewed perspective if you ignore the bad outcomes. Full disclosure reveals that second chance hires are just as likely to fail as succeed.
OK. You picked a bunch of coaches who had lousy records the first time around. What happens if you sort for guys who had winning records in their first job, like Reich did?
Why do that when you can list coaches who were running teams while todays players weren’t even born.
Surely you’re not suggesting Harland Svare is irrelevant to 2022 football!
All the records posted were related to coaches on their second chance. How coaches faired on their first, third or subsequent efforts isn’t relevant to the discussion.
Right, but you’re including a bunch of guys who failed the first time around, unlike Reich. Many of them also coached in wildly different eras of football, while the comment in the post that started all this specified this millennium.
This was a blessing in disguise for him. Irsay is a nightmare.
I hear the XFL is looking for coaches
I heard the Colts are looking…oh wait.
Dude probably still has millions coming to him – thus he should spend some time with his family and stay unemployed until Irsay is done paying him.
200k a month over the next few years is what I think I read.
He was already the fourth oldest coach in football. If he wants to keep his head coaching career going, he probably shouldn’t dawdle.