Days after Stanford fired its football coach, it has found a replacement in former NFL coach Frank Reich.
Reich will be the interim head coach for the Cardinal in 2025, hired by the team's general manager Andrew Luck, who played under Reich when the two were with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018.
Reich, 63, also was once the head coach for the Carolina Panthers and was a quarterback for the Panthers, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Detroit Lions during his 14-year career as an NFL player.
The move comes after Stanford fired Troy Taylor on March 25. Taylor had been investigated twice for allegedly mistreating football team staff members.
Luck was hired to the newly created position of general manager in November.
"I could not be more excited for our coaches, staff and players to have Frank as our head football coach for the 2025 season," Luck said in a news release. "I have experienced first-hand the incredible impact Frank has demonstrated as a leader and have full confidence he is the perfect steward for this season of Stanford Football. Frank is a teacher, a winner and a coach of the highest caliber. Frank’s values align seamlessly with our vision for this program and I firmly believe in his ability to maximize the on-field potential of our student-athletes while serving as a role model in all aspects of their personal growth."
With Luck at the helm, Stanford is trying to rebuild its struggling football program after four straight seasons losing seasons.
Sports
Reich said in the news release he was looking forward to the challenge and to be collaborating with Luck again.
"I am thrilled to be working with Andrew again to help take an important step in establishing his vision for the Stanford Football program," Reich said. "Andrew is an elite leader and competitor, and those traits, along with his genuine passion for this university, resonated in every way and inspired me to accept this role. The unique responsibility to mentor the best student-athletes in the world, to be the absolute best in what they aspire to do, is an opportunity I will fully embrace."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Reich is the 36th head coach in Stanford football history.
