Indianapolis Colts fire Frank Reich; Jeff Saturday named interim head coach
The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Frank Reich, the club announced Monday. ESPN first reported the news. Jeff Saturday, the former Colts center and current ESPN analyst, will join the organization as interim head coach.
The move comes after the Colts dropped a 26-3 decision to the New England Patriots, dropping the club to 3-5-1 on the year.
Last week, Reich benched quarterback Matt Ryan for the season, opting to play second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger the rest of the way. It remains to be seen whether that decision will be revisited (Ehlinger was 15-of-29 for 103 yards with an interception in Foxboro), but either way the Colts will be in the quarterback market next spring.
Reich fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady on Nov. 1, taking over play-calling duties himself. On Sunday, the Colts gained 121 yards on 60 plays, the lowest output of any NFL team this season. Ehlinger's interception was returned for a touchdown, meaning the Colts' offense produced a negative scoring output on Sunday.
According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, this is the first time owner Jim Irsay has dismissed a coach mid-season.
A 14-year NFL quarterback himself, Reich began his coaching career as an intern in Indianapolis in 2006, the year the Colts won the latest of their two Super Bowls. He earned the job after helping the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl LII victory in the 2017 season as offensive coordinator, and after Josh McDaniels withdrew his agreement to become the Colts' head coach.
Reich guided Indianapolis to the playoffs in his debut season of 2018 and again in 2020. The Colts finished 9-8 in 2021 but did not qualify for the postseason. He leaves the Colts with a 40-33-1 record.
Saturday played for the Colts from 1999-2011, and in the NFL from 1998-12. An undrafted free agent, Saturday played in six Pro Bowls and is enshrined in the Colts' Ring of Honor. He now joins the organization in his first NFL coaching role, having joined ESPN's roster of NFL analysts following his playing career. Saturday's coaching experience is limited to a private high school in Georgia.
His hiring makes the Colts the first team to hire a head coach (full-time or interim) with no NFL or college experience since 1961, when the expansion Minnesota Vikings hired 1960 NFL MVP Norm Van Brocklin.
Indianapolis is the second NFL club to make a head coaching move during the 2022 season. The Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule on Oct. 10.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
