As the Indianapolis Colts enter the 2021 season, Frank Reich enters his fourth season as head coach.
In his tenure the Colts have gone 28-20, including an 11-5 finish last season.
They have made the playoffs in two of his three seasons.
For his efforts, Reich, alongside general manager Chris Ballard, were awarded contract extensions through the 2026 season.
BREAKING: The @Colts have signed GM Chris Ballard and head coach Frank Reich each to contract extensions through the 2026 season, per sources.
Colts owner @JimIrsay clearly in a happy place with his leaders.
Ballard was hired as GM in 2017. Reich was hired as HC in 2018.— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 11, 2021
Reich is now poised to the Colts’ head coach for the foreseeable future.
The extension proves what owner Jim Irsay and the Colts organization think of Reich as head coach.
Reich’s work thus far proves he is the right man for the job heading into year four.
Reich’s Stats
Last season, the Colts ranked 10th in offense and eighth in defense.
Indianapolis was also second in the NFL with a +10 turnover differential.
In Reich’s first year with the Colts, the team finished seventh in offense and 11th in defense.
Year two was a bit of a struggle as Indianapolis dipped to 25th in offense and 16th in defense.
However, with the comeback the Colts had last season, it appears that Reich has the team back on track.
Reich was hired by the Colts a year after he won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles as their offensive coordinator.
He understands what it takes to succeed and what it takes to reach the postseason.
In the three years before Reich, the Colts went 8-8 twice and finished 4-12 in the final season before his hiring.
They missed the playoffs all three seasons.
In just three years, Reich has turned the team around offensively and defensively and has the Colts looking like contenders once again.
Player Acquisition
Ballard gets a lot of the credit for how the Colts have come together in recent years.
He should, he is the general manager.
However, as head coach, Reich has a say in who the Colts draft and bring into the organization.
Through four NFL Drafts, the Colts have added players such as Quenton Nelson, Darius Leonard, Braden Smith, Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor.
Pittman and Taylor are now cornerstones of the offense while Nelson and Smith are two of the best offensive lineman in the league.
Leonard is a two-time member of the All-Pro team, a former Rookie of the Year, and has recently signed an extension with the Colts.
Breaking: Colts' Darius Leonard is signing a five-year, $98.5 million extension that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history, sources told @AdamSchefter. https://t.co/r8Ey923kuY pic.twitter.com/zbBbivxPdg
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 8, 2021
Yes, Ballard deserves a lot of the credit for the acquisitions, but football is always a team sport.
Reich has been able to give his input and help craft the team Colts fans see today.
Work With The Quarterbacks
Perhaps Reich’s best work has been with the Colts’ quarterbacks.
In his three years, the Colts have started Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, and Philip Rivers.
Luck retired after Reich’s first year with the team.
While the Colts struggled in year two, Reich still coaxed a 7-9 out of two guys who are now backups elsewhere in Brissett and Hoyer
Last season, Rivers completed 68 percent of his passes and threw for 4,169 yards and a 24/11 TD/INT ratio.
That was coming from a quarterback in Rivers who was 39 and promptly retired after the season.
Now, Reich will have former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz at his disposal.
While he suffered a foot injury, the Colts expect him back before Week 1.
Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and guard Quenton Nelson are trending toward being available for Indianapolis' regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, sources told @mortreport.https://t.co/0fVmawypCJ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2021
Reich was Wentz’s offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017.
In 2017, Wentz was voted to his first Pro Bowl after throwing for 3,296 yards and a 33/7 TD/INT ratio.
The 33 touchdown passes were the highest of Wentz’s career thus far.
Reich has dealt with a revolving door at quarterback.
Now, with a young talent like Wentz in town, Reich has an opportunity to continue proving why he is the right man to lead the Colts.
NEXT: Colts May Actually Get Carson Wentz Back To Start The Season