Colts Hire New Coach

Frank Reich is many things Josh McDaniels is not.

One of them is head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Reich gave his word he’d accept the Colts’ offer to be their coach. McDaniels did as well, but then last week changed his mind to the detriment of assistant coaches hired, the Colts and his reputation. Reich will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. The Colts had said the same thing about introducing McDaniel, announcing his hiring and a new conference. But McDaniels then had second thoughts. Assuming he’d had first thoughts.

Oddly, the team that failed to hired the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl runner-up (the New England Patriots) landed the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champions (the Philadelphia Eagles). Reich also played quarterback – sometimes in limited roles but always with distinction – at the University of Maryland (backing up Boomer Esiason) and with the Buffalo Bills (as Hall of Famer Jim Kelly’s stand-in).

Reich, 56, knows what’s going on on both sides of the ball. As a quarterback, he engineered two of football’s most memorable comebacks (Maryland over Miami, Buffalo over Houston in the playoffs). His father, Frank, played center and linebacker at Penn State. Better still, the Colts’ new head boss got his start in coaching with the team as an intern, in 2006, so this is a homecoming.

One more thing. Reich gave his word. And he’s as good as that word. Neither management nor players should ever have to worry where they stand with a man who speaks like one.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman