Frank Reich has no illusions a couple of long-term future because the thirty sixth head coach of the Stanford soccer program.
Subsequent 12 months, basic supervisor Andrew Luck will rent a thirty seventh head coach and all people is aware of it.
Reich was introduced Monday because the one-year resolution after the firing of Troy Taylor, who was dismissed by Luck final week within the midst of ESPN reporting that he had bullied and belittled feminine staffers throughout again to again 3-9 seasons after changing David Shaw.
Employed final November to supervise the soccer program, Luck’s first name upon firing Taylor was to Reich. The 2 had been collectively in Indianapolis in 2018, with Luck because the quarterback and Reich as the top coach of the Colts.
Reich, 63 and likewise a former NFL quarterback, was procuring at Costco together with his spouse in Greensboro, North Carolina, when he acquired the decision. He was anticipating remaining out of soccer after turning down NFL alternatives “at various degrees and levels.” Reich was fired as the top coach of the Carolina Panthers through the 2023 season.
Reich, who coached completely within the NFL from 2006 via 2023, added, “I told Linda going into this cycle I would only consider something if it was the right person and the right place. We were pretty much moving on with our life. The timing of this was different. So when Andrew called, it was the right person, and it’s the right place.”
Luck afforded the chance for Reich to be minimally concerned with issues that don’t embrace the sector of play.
“Normally, a head coach of a program like Stanford you have a lot of other responsibilities off the field,” Reich mentioned. “My focus is football. Andrew is going to assume a lot of the things that maybe a normal head coach would have to take. That was one of the attractive things about it.”
Bringing in Reich, 63, allowed Luck to retain the teaching workers moderately than rent a coach to a multi-year deal that will need his personal individuals and it allowed the gamers to proceed within the construction to which they’ve been accustomed for the final two years.
Stanford soccer basic supervisor Andrew Luck (left) and interim coach Frank Reich at an introductory press convention Tuesday. Dai Sugano/Bay Space Information Group
“Andrew made it clear he’s got confidence in who is here,” Reich mentioned. “There’s no additions. I’m kind of thankful for that even though there is some great people out there who I know I could bring in. But that also makes it more complicated. We’ve got everybody we need in the boat and we’ve got to start paddling in the same direction.”
It’s clear that this system belongs to Luck, and can proceed that means even when Stanford hires an athletic director to exchange the departed Bernard Muir.
Luck will cope with the potential of an NCAA settlement of income sharing coming down subsequent week. He’ll cope with Identify, Picture and Likeness. He’ll cope with recruiting. Reich will act as a training steward through the week and on Saturdays.
Reich was an NFL quarterback for 13 seasons with Buffalo, Carolina, the New York Jets and Detroit with 20 common season begins. A 3rd-round draft decide from Maryland, Reich as soon as led his workforce from a 31-0 deficit to a 42-40 win over Miami. He authored the most important postseason comeback in NFL historical past when subbing for the injured Jim Kelly, he led the Payments from a 35-3 deficit to a 41-38 additional time win over the Houston Oilers in 1992.
Stints as an assistant included being offensive coordinator for Philadelphia when it received Tremendous Bowl LI in 2017, which led to being head coach in Indianapolis from 2018-2022 the place he was 40-33-1. Reich was employed as the top coach for Carolina in 2023 and was dismissed with a 1-10 document.
Reich and Luck exuded pleasure and optimism as they sat facet by facet at a live-streamed press convention. They’re shut sufficient that when Luck obtained married six years in the past, Reich, an ordained minister, officiated the marriage.
Nonetheless, Luck mentioned “no” when requested if there was an opportunity Reich may keep past a single season in the event that they had been pleased with the way in which issues had been going.
“That was maybe the third sentence out of my mouth and the response from Frank was, `That’s perfect,’ ” Luck mentioned. “This year is what works for (his) life, this year is what works for Stanford football. It reaffirmed why Frank was the first call for me.”
With spring follow underway, Reich mentioned he met with the workforce to stipulate expectations.
“Yesterday in the first team meeting, we detailed that and made it crystal clear,” Reich mentioned. “We went over what our seven standards will be for the 2025 season and those are standards every player and coach is responsible to know and embody and embrace with a lot of excitement and passion around it.”
Luck mentioned hiring Reich for a 12 months shouldn’t be perceived as a stall within the path of this system as they await a rent of the following head coach. Stanford not performed in a bowl sport because the 2018 season when it confronted Pittsburgh within the Solar Bowl.
“Jay Green, one of our upperclassmen safeties called me and when we didn’t know what was going on yet and it hit me,” Luck mentioned. “I said, `Jay, this isn’t the NBA, man. We’re not tanking for the first pick in the draft. We need to win. We need to win this season.”
