February 11, 2018
According to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Indianapolis Colts are poised to hire Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich to be their new head coach.
Frank Reich has emerged as the favorite to become the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, who are hoping to hire the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator once they have negotiated a signed, sealed and delivered contract, per @mortreport and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 11, 2018
It appeared as though the Eagles would retain Reich, but when New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts' head job at the 11th hour, the position re-opened, and Reich became at risk.
While Reich did not call plays, he along with Doug Pederson and former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo did an outstanding job grooming Carson Wentz into the MVP-worthy quarterback he has become, while also tailoring a game plan that worked for Nick Foles when Wentz was lost for the season. The Eagles were seventh in total offense in 2017, and tied for second in points. Oh, and they won the Super Bowl, in case you missed it.
Reich would be the second Eagles assistant to be hired away from the team in the last three days, as DeFilippo left to become the Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator on Friday.
If Reich is indeed a goner, the Eagles will have to find a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Two in-house options could be running backs coach Duce Staley for the offensive coordinator spot, and wide receivers coach Mike Groh for the quarterbacks spot.
Staley previously interviewed with the Eagles for their open head coaching job after Chip Kelly was fired, and has recently gotten sniffs as an offensive coordinator elsewhere.
Groh has experience coaching quarterbacks (Louisville 2010), and he himself was a two-year starting quarterback at the University of Virginia before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 as an undrafted free agent. In a Q&A post, Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs noted that when Groh left the Bears to join the Rams' staff a few years ago, he did so partly because he had hoped to become the Bears' quarterbacks coach, but was passed over for the job. It seems Groh would likely be interested in the quarterbacks job.
Both Staley and Groh are thought to be well-regarded within the Eagles' organization. To be determined if the Eagles hire from within, or look to the outside for the two most important offensive assistant jobs.
The Doug Pederson coaching tree could soon grow its first branch.
Update: It appears to be a done deal:
Frank Reich will be the Colts’ new coach. Five-year deal with the team has been agreed to and about to be finalized, source says. @espn reported earlier he was the fave.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 11, 2018
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