Frank Reich‘s retirement will not last. The former Colts and Panthers head coach is joining Stanford as the program’s interim HC, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports.
This will bring a reunion between Reich and Andrew Luck, whom the Cardinal hired as their football GM this offseason. Reich coached Luck from 2018 until his August 2019 retirement. It will be a one-year union, though, as Stanford is confirming this is a short-term agreement to install Reich as interim HC while the program reboots after firing Troy Taylor.
Stanford canned Taylor after an investigation revealed the former HC bullied female staff members, among other findings. A well-respected coach during his time in the NFL, Reich will be brought in as a stopgap while the now-ACC-stationed program conducts a search for a long-term replacement, Thamel adds.
Reich, 63, will step in as a CEO HC, which will differ from his role in Indianapolis. The Cardinal are promoting tight ends coach Nate Byham to their offensive coordinator post, Thamel adds. A former Buccaneers tight ends coach, Byham is expected to call plays. Reich called plays throughout his Colts tenure and during most of his one-season Panthers stay. These are different circumstances, however, as Luck is calling on his former boss to steer the ship in the short term.
Following Luck, Bill Belichick and Ron Rivera (Cal’s new GM), Reich will step into the muddied waters of college football, a sport trudging through the NIL era featuring significant impact from the transfer portal. Luck is leading the way here, overseeing his alma mater’s budget in this new era of college football, but he will now work with Reich on this front.
More to come.
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