
Frank Reich
Head Coach
College: Maryland
Hometown: Freeport, N.Y.
Experience: 44 years
Biography
In his first season as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Frank Reich led the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after finishing with a 10-6 record. After starting the season with a 1-5 mark, the Colts won nine of their last 10 games and became just the third team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and make it to the playoffs. Additionally, Indianapolis was the second team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and win a playoff game.
In his first season as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Frank Reich led the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 after finishing with a 10-6 record. After starting the season with a 1-5 mark, the Colts won nine of their last 10 games and became just the third team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and make it to the playoffs. Additionally, Indianapolis was the second team in NFL history to start a season 1-5 and win a playoff game.
Reich became just the third head coach in team history to win a playoff game in his first season at the helm. He was named the AFC Coach of the Year for the 2018 season by the NFL 101 Awards. The Colts finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 in offensive points per game (27.1) and defensive points allowed per game (21.5). They were just one of four teams to rank in the top 10 in both categories. Additionally, the offensive line ranked first in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed as quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns while tying an NFL record with touchdown passes to 13 different targets. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Indianapolis also ranked seventh in the NFL in net offense (386.2 ypg.) and sixth in passing (278.8 ypg.).
Defensively, the Colts were just one of three teams to not allow a 100-yard rusher in the regular season. The unit forced at least one turnover in a league-high 15 regular season games. Indianapolis also ranked second in tackles for loss (91.0) and led the league with four players with 12.0 or more tackles for loss.
Three members of the Colts were selected to the Pro Bowl, including Luck, center/guard Quenton Nelson and Eric Ebron who established a career-high with 14 total touchdowns. Reich guided an 11-man draft class, who combined to play in 133 regular season games (87 starts) and 18 postseason contests (nine starts). The group was spearheaded by Nelson and Darius Leonard who joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers (Chicago, 1965) as the second pair of rookie teammates to be selected First Team All-Pro since The Associated Press started selecting teams in 1940. Additionally, Leonard was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Reich was named the Indianapolis Colts Head Coach on February 11, 2018. He has 27 years of NFL experience as both a player (1985-1998) and a coach (2006-2018). Reich rejoined the Colts after spending six years on the team's coaching staff from 2006-2011.
Reich spent the 2016-17 seasons as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and was instrumental in the team's Super Bowl LII championship following the 2017 season.
From 2016-17, Reich assisted with the development of quarterback Carson Wentz, whom the team selected in the first round (second overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Eagles started the 2017 season in dominant fashion under the direction of Reich and his offense. Wentz started the first 13 games of the season, led the team to an 11-2 record and was in the running for NFL MVP after completing 265-of-440 passes for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions for a 101.9 passer rating. Philadelphia would face extreme adversity in a Week 14 contest vs. the Los Angeles Rams as Wentz suffered a season-ending knee injury toward the end of the third quarter.
Thrust into the spotlight for Wentz, who was leading the NFL in touchdown passes at the time of his injury, was veteran quarterback Nick Foles. Foles would start the final three contests of the regular season and guided the Eagles to a 2-1 record and a first round bye in the playoffs.
In postseason play, Foles led Philadelphia to underdog wins over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional round, the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII for the team's first-ever Super Bowl championship. He was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 28-of-43 passes for 373 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 106.1 passer rating. Foles also caught a one-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter and became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for and catch a touchdown in a Super Bowl.
The Eagles boasted one of the NFL's best offenses in 2017. Philadelphia ranked in the top 10 in numerous categories, including yards per game (365.8 – seventh), rushing yards per game (132.2 – third), interception rate (1.60 – sixth), first downs per game (21.1 – fourth), third down percentage (41.74 – eight), fourth down percentage (65.38 – third), red zone percentage (65.45 – first), goal to go percentage (83.33 – third), average time of possession (32:41 – first) and points per game (28.6 – third).
In 2016, Reich helped then rookie Wentz make the transition from FCS-level North Dakota State to the pros. Wentz started all 16 games and completed 379-of-607 passes for 3,782 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a 79.3 passer rating. He set a franchise and NFL rookie record for completions. Wentz also established Eagles rookie records in pass attempts, passing yards, completion percentage (62.4 percent), passing touchdowns and passer rating. He attempted 134 consecutive passes without an interception, marking the third-longest streak to begin a career in NFL history. Wentz registered the fourth-most passing yards in Eagles single-season history and NFL rookie history.
Prior to Philadelphia, Reich spent three seasons (2013-15) with the San Diego Chargers, serving the last two seasons as offensive coordinator. Reich worked closely with quarterback Philip Rivers in San Diego. Under the direction of Reich, Rivers hit the 4,000-yard passing plateau in three-straight seasons for a total of 13,556 yards, marking the third-most passing yards by an NFL quarterback during that span. Also during that span, Rivers threw 92 touchdowns, the fourth-highest total in the NFL, while compiling the third-most completions in the league (1,194) and recording the second-highest completion percentage (67.3).
During Reich's two seasons as San Diego's offensive coordinator, the Chargers ranked third in completions (822), fourth in completion percentage (66.2) and fifth in the NFL in net passing yards (8,869).
In 2015, Rivers led the league with a career-high and franchise-record 437 completions, while finishing second in the NFL with a career-high 4,792 passing yards. Reich's impact was immediately evident in his first season as the team's offensive coordinator in 2014, as Rivers became the first quarterback since 1960 to record a quarterback rating of at least 120.0 in five-consecutive games, all of which were Chargers wins.
Reich served as quarterbacks coach with the Chargers in 2013. In Rivers' first year working with Reich, he led the NFL with a career-high 69.5 completion percentage, while he also matched his career-high 105.5 quarterback rating, which ranked fourth in the league that season. Rivers completed 378-of-544 passes for 4,478 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 105.5 passer rating. Some of his 2013 totals still rank among the best of his career, including pass completions (third), passing yards (fifth) and touchdown passes (tied for third).
Before his tenure in San Diego, Reich coached wide receivers for the Arizona Cardinals in 2012, where he worked with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald caught 71 passes for 798 yards and four touchdowns en route to his seventh career Pro Bowl selection.
Reich spent the first six seasons (2006-2011) of his coaching career with the Colts as wide receivers coach (2011), quarterbacks coach (2009-2010), offensive assistant (2008) and coaching intern (2006-07). In Indianapolis, he was a member of teams that earned five playoff appearances, four AFC South Division titles, two AFC Championships, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl title.
In 2011, Reich led a wide receivers group that worked without future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who missed the entire season due to injury. Despite playing with three different starting quarterbacks, Reich's two top wideouts, Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, were just one of two wide receiver duos in the NFL to each record 70-plus receptions and 900-plus receiving yards. Wayne caught 75 passes for 960 yards and four touchdowns while Garcon compiled 70 receptions for 947 yards and six touchdowns.
From 2009-2010, Reich was the position coach for Manning. Under Reich's guidance, he completed 843-of-1,250 passes for 9,200 yards with 66 touchdowns and 33 interceptions for a 95.6 passer rating. Manning was named to Pro Bowls in both seasons. In 2009, Reich's first season as quarterbacks coach, Manning was named NFL MVP after completing 393-of-571 passes for 4,500 yards with 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for a 99.9 passer rating. His 68.8 completion percentage was the best of his 18-year NFL career.
Reich began his NFL coaching career in 2006 as a coaching intern with the Colts. After two seasons in that role, he was promoted to offensive assistant in 2008.
Reich enjoyed a 14-year playing career with the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets and Detroit Lions after being selected by the Bills in the third round (57th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. Including postseason play, he played in 129 career games (22 starts) and completed 575-of-1,036 passes for 6,858 yards and 47 touchdowns.
He spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Bills, where he served as a backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. During his time in Buffalo, Reich was a part of Bills teams that went to four-straight Super Bowls from 1990-1993, appeared in five AFC Championships and captured five division titles.
While Reich was rarely pressed into action during his nine years backing up Kelly, the former signal caller was called upon in the 1992 playoffs after Kelly sprained his right knee in the regular season finale and was forced to sit out the first two rounds. Despite having only attempted one pass in a postseason game prior to the 1992 season, Reich made his first postseason start in the 1992 Wild Card round and engineered the greatest comeback in NFL history. With the Bills trailing the Houston Oilers by 32 points early in the third quarter, Reich orchestrated five second half touchdown drives, four of which were capped by touchdown passes, and led a game-winning field goal drive in overtime to defeat Houston 41-38. Reich started the next week in a Divisional Round win at Pittsburgh, and the Bills went on to make an appearance in Super Bowl XXVII.
A native of Freeport, N.Y., Reich attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pa. He played collegiately at the University of Maryland from 1981-84 where he backed up Boomer Esiason before earning the starting job as a senior in 1984. As a senior, Reich rallied the Terrapins from a 31-0 deficit to defeat the Miami Hurricanes, 42-40. At the time, Maryland's victory over Miami marked the greatest comeback win in college football history and is now only second to Michigan State's 2006 35-point comeback over Northwestern.
Reich graduated from Maryland in 1984 with a business degree and earned Academic All-ACC honors as a senior.
After his 14-year career in the NFL, Reich retired in 1998 and made the decision to spend time with his family and join Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. He graduated and led RTS for three years and then pastored a local church prior to his coaching career.
Coaching Career
2006-2007 Indianapolis Colts Coaching Intern
2008 Indianapolis Colts Offensive Assistant
2009-2010 Indianapolis Colts Quarterbacks
2011 Indianapolis Colts Wide Receivers
2012 Arizona Cardinals Wide Receivers
2013 San Diego Chargers Quarterbacks
2014-2015 San Diego Chargers Offensive Coordinator
2016-2017 Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator
2018-2020 Indianapolis Colts Head Coach