Frank Reich Fired as Colts Head Coach

The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Frank Reich after the team's tumultuous 3-5-1 start to the season.
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The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Frank Reich, per reports.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the news on Monday morning, as the Colts' head coach did not make it through the team's baffling, 3-5-1 start to the season.

Reich was hired by the Colts in 2018 and has compiled a 40-33-1 record in the regular season, along with two playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020 (1-2).

Despite being an offensive-minded head coach, the Colts' offense has been inexplicably bad this season under Reich, ranking in the bottom half of the league in most notable categories.

They have scored more than 20 points just once in nine games and have been held to 10 or fewer points three times. The Colts have lost their last three games to teams that are widely considered mediocre this season in the Tennessee Titans (5-3), Washington Commanders (4-5), and New England Patriots (5-4).

Sunday after the game, Reich sounded like a man who knew his fate.

"It was a poor performance, especially on offense," Reich said after the game on Sunday. 

"Starting with me, right?"

"That's what I said in the locker room. The offensive performance, that's why I was brought here. That's my responsibility. So we got the players. We've got the players that are plenty good enough."

"I have to do a better job."

"It starts with me on offense. I need to do a better job getting the guys ready to play, putting guys in a good position to win and having answers when we face problems."

The Colts enter Week 10 of the NFL season ranked dead last in points-per-game. They are 27th in total offense, and inexplicably, they are 30th in rushing offense with the NFL's highest paid offensive line according to Spotrac.

Two weeks ago, the Colts benched starting quarterback Matt Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger, and last week, they fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady. Now, Reich is out.

Reich was 40-33-1 in his four-plus seasons with the Colts. He was 1-2 in the playoffs with his only win coming in 2018.

Reich is the second NFL head coach to be fired this season, joining former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.

The Colts will hold a press conference later on Monday to discuss details, likely including who the team's interim head coach will be.

The Colts have their next game this Sunday on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.


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Jake Arthur
JAKE ARTHUR

Jake Arthur has covered the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for a decade. He is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) and FantasyPros' expert panel. He has also contributed to multiple NFL Draft guides.