After a disastrous week for the Indianapolis Colts, in which Josh McDaniels backed out of the head coaching job to remain the New England Patriots offensive coordinator, the Colts have hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as their head coach. Reich helped the Eagles land their Super Bowl victory last season, noteably assisting backup quarterback Nick Foles through the playoffs. Reich will take over the coaching helm on a five-year deal according to NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo.
Frank Reich Hired as Indianapolis Colts Head Coach
After winning Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl 52, and the offense finishing third in points and seventh in total yard, offensive coordinator Frank Reich will be getting a chance to coordinate the rise of the Indianapolis Colts as a head coach. With quarterback Andrew Luck and the third overall pick, the Colts have the assets to improve, but on a whole their entire roster needs reworking after seeing a 4-12 record. General manager Chris Ballard will also be getting his first round in an executive role and will be working closely with Reich.
Reich notably began his NFL career with the Colts in 2006, when he took on the role of intern. He was promoted to offensive assistant through the 2008 and 2011 seasons. Reich joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2012 as a wide receivers coach, and then spent three seasons with the San Diego Chargers as their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Under the Eagles, Reich assisted the development of Carson Wentz, creating a unique offense that saw a 7-9, 2016 record jump to a 13-3, Super Bowl mark in 2017.
Without Luck, the Colts turned to quarterback backup Jacoby Brissett in the 2017 season, finishing 31st in total yards (4,553). However, the offense is not the only problem for the Colts; their defense finished allowing the third most yards overall (5,873), and 30th in points allowed (404). The Colts have Luck signed through the 2021 season, and roughly 72 million dollars in cap space to operate with this off-season.
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