Stanford is hiring former Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich as its interim head coach for the 2025 season, the school announced Monday.
Both sides agreed that this will only be a one-year agreement, and Stanford will then launch a national search for a full-time head coach, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Troy Taylor was fired last week after ESPN published reports from two workplace misconduct investigations into Taylor commissioned in 2023 and 2024.
Stanford is also promoting tight ends coach Nate Byham to offensive coordinator, and the 36-year-old is set to be the play-caller, according to Thamel.
Reich hasn't coached since the Panthers fired him following a 1-10 start to the 2023 campaign. He was the Colts' sideline boss from 2018-2022.
The 63-year-old served as offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons before being hired by Indianapolis, helping lead the team to a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Stanford general manager Andrew Luck was the Colts' quarterback under Reich in 2018. Luck started all 16 games that year and led Indianapolis to the divisional round of the playoffs. He retired from the NFL months after the season ended.
This will be Reich's first time coaching a college program. He owns a 41-43 record in six NFL campaigns.
Stanford is coming off a 3-9 season, and the club hasn't won 10-plus games since the 2016 campaign.
