Colts’ former head coach is making a return to the NFL after spending time at the college level
A former Colts’ head coach is making his return to the NFL level, joining an AFC team’s coaching staff ahead of 2026.
It’s been a good week for former Indianapolis Colts coaches.
First, former Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley landed another chance to be a DC with the Tennessee Titans on Robert Saleh’s staff. Now, a former Colts head coach is also getting his chance to return to the NFL level.
The New York Jets have reportedly hired Frank Reich to be their new offensive coordinator. An important hire by head coach Aaron Glenn ahead of what could be a pivotal season.
Former Colts head coach Frank Reich hired by the Jets as their new offensive coordinator
Reich spent four and a half seasons as the Colts’ head coach from 2018 to 2022. He finished with a 40-33 record in Indianapolis and was the play-caller for two top 10-ranked Colts offenses.
His start with the Colts came unusually after the team’s plan to hire Josh McDaniels fell through at the finish line, as the coach failed to honor his verbal commitment to become the team’s next head coach. The Colts then turned to Reich as his replacement late into the hiring cycle.
The only thing stranger than his start was the end to his tenure with the Colts. After the Colts started 3-8-1, the team fired Reich mid-season and hired Jeff Saturday, off the ESPN desk, as the team’s interim head coach.
After a failed stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2023, when he was again fired mid-season, Reich was away from the game. Until last year, at least, when he agreed to be Stanford’s interim head coach as a favor to Colts legend Andrew Luck, who is now the program’s general manager.
That year back working around football has led to him making his return to the NFL level. For him to be successful, the Jets will have to figure out who will be the QB, but Reich is a creative play-caller who has gotten a lot out of the QB position in the past. It’ll be interesting to see how this works out for New York.
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