The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2022 NFL season as the heavy favorite to win the AFC South with Frank Reich viewed as one of the best head coaches in the NFL. Amid another disappointing season for the franchise, it’s time to consider Colts coaching candidates who might need to be considered if Reich is fired.
Reich’s path to becoming the head coach in Indianapolis was unconventional. Viewed as a rising coaching candidate in 2018, he missed out on the hiring cycle until Josh McDaniels back out on the Colts. Shortly after, the franchise responded by hiring Reich in a reunion after he began his career with Indianapolis as a coaching intern (2006-’07) and then worked his way up as a positional coach.
It looked like Reich would help the Colts become one of the best teams in the NFL after 2018. Indianapolis finished with a 10-6 record, reaching the AFC Divisional Round. Andrew Luck started every game, finishing with 4,593 passing yards and a career-high 98.7 quarterback rating. The franchise seemed poised to make the leap into Super Bowl contention the following year, but that all changed when Luck suddenly retired.
Frank Reich career record: 40-31-1 in the regular season, 1-2 in NFL playoffs
Reich has tried to make things work offensively ever since. In 2019 with starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis went 7=9 and missed the playoffs. Things got better with the change to Philip Rivers, the Colts finished 11-5 and made the playoffs. But Reich could only get so much out of a quarterback who was ready to retire. Reich then hand-picked Carson Wentz in 2021 and overpaid to acquire him, only to have the entire organization sour on Wentz long before his late-season collapse.
Fast forward to 2022 and the Colts are no better with Matt Ryan. Reich, praised for his offensive mind, is overseeing an offense that ranks 27th in yards per play (5.0), scoring rate (30.3%) and is 22nd in its number of touchdowns when inside the red zone (50%). With the losses piling up, it’s becoming evident that change is necessary.
Keeping that in mind, here are three Indianapolis Colts coaching candidates who could replace Frank Reich.
Brian Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach
It’s evident the Indianapolis Colts will be in the market for a quarterback once again this offseason. Fortunately, the annual search will be made a little easier with plenty of quality picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Whether Indianapolis moves up for its next face of the franchise or one becomes available via trade, they need the right coach in the building to make everything work.
Brian Johnson should be among the hottest coaching candidates in 2023. Shortly after the former quarterback’s playing career ended in 2009, he returned to the Utah Utes as their quarterbacks coach (2010-’11). After two years in that position, the 24-year-old became the youngest offensive coordinator in FBS history. He then made stops at Mississippi State (2014-’16), Houston (2017) and the University of Florida (2018-’20) before the Philadelphia Eagles hired him as their quarterbacks’ coach in 2021.