Days after the dismissal of head coach Troy Taylor due to bullying allegations, the Stanford Cardinal swiftly appointed a new coach. Cardinal general manager and former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck faced a pivotal decision in his executive career and turned to an old friend: former NFL coach Frank Reich.
Sources: Stanford is hiring veteran NFL coach Frank Reich as the school’s interim football coach for 2025 season. Both sides have agreed this will be only a one-season agreement. At that point, Stanford will launch a national search. pic.twitter.com/21NuVUCjjt
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 31, 2025
As noted by Thamel, the expectation is for Reich to serve just one season before Stanford conducts a comprehensive coaching search. Reich and Luck share significant history, as Reich was Luck’s head coach during his last NFL season in 2018. That year would ultimately mark the end of Luck’s career after his sudden retirement during the 2019 preseason.
Reich, who led the Colts for five seasons with a record of 40-33, guided the team to the playoffs twice, with his best performance coinciding with Luck’s final year. This has led many to speculate about the possibilities had Luck continued playing. However, Reich’s other head coaching experience was notably less successful, as he recorded a 1-10 record during his brief stint with the 2023 Carolina Panthers before being dismissed. At 63 years old, Reich has yet to serve as a head coach or coordinator at the college level.
