Denver Broncos head coaching profile: Frank Reich
The Denver Broncos figure to be interested in interviewing Frank Reich for their vacant head coach position. What kind of coaching career has he had? Reich might be the best candidate for the opening that the team has.
His work with veteran quarterbacks and ability to win at the NFL level given the circumstances is impressive, and would likely greatly help the Denver Broncos and their quest to become a relevant team again. Reich getting fired from his job with the Indianapolis Colts earlier in the season was huge news.
He’s now available to interview for head coaching openings if teams want to take that route. What kind of coaching career has Frank Reich had up until this point and does it makes sense for the Broncos to pursue him?
Denver Broncos head coaching profile: Frank Reich
Reich was drafted in the third round of the 1985 NFL Draft and was the long-time backup to Jim Kelly in Buffalo. His career spanned from 1985-1998. Already, this is a bonus, as having NFL experience as a quarterback is something that I think Reich and other coaches in the NFL use to their advantage.
From 2006-2007, he was a coaching intern with the Indianapolis Colts. In 2008, he was promoted to an offensive coaching staff assistant and was then the quarterbacks coach from 2009-2010 and wide receivers coach in 2011.
Obviously, there are some connections here with Peyton Manning and if the Broncos’ ownership group wants to consult Manning during this process, Reich’s name figures to be mentioned.
In 2012, he was the wide receivers coach with the Arizona Cardinals, before taking a job as the quarterbacks coach with the Chargers in 2013. From 2014-2015, he was the offensive coordinator for San Diego.
Already, it’s easy to see why Reich might be a great fit as the Broncos’ next head coach. He’s got experience serving as an offensive coordinator and in various other position roles on the offense. From 2016-2017, he held the same role as OC with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both Reich and Doug Pederson were largely credited with the development of Carson Wentz from his rookie year into his second year. The Eagles’ offense was special in 2017 and led to them winning the Super Bowl.
That was enough for the Indianapolis Colts, who hired Reich as the head coach in 2018, where he spent the rest of his coaching career up until this point. He was fired about halfway through the 2022 season.
As head coach, Frank Reich has had to deal with constant quarterback changes, a meddling owner, and a general manager who had no concept of positional value. Reich was able to lead competent offenses with Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz.
Obviously, in the one year he coached Andrew Luck, the Colts had a stellar offense too. However, Reich seems most known for his work with guys like Rivers and Wentz who both appeared well over the hump.
However, Reich was able to get solid production out of each and had a top-10 scoring offense with both men under center. As head coach, he led the Colts to the playoffs in 2018 and 2020. He’s got a 1-2 playoff record and a 40-33-1 record in the regular season.
The .555 winning percentage in the regular season might not seem that special, but anyone involved in the NFL would surely tell you how outstandingly hard it is to win in the NFL. Frank Reich checks all the boxes that the Denver Broncos would be looking for in a head coach, and perhaps most importantly, was able to assemble strong staffs during his time in Indianapolis.