Stanford hires Frank Reich as interim football coach

“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," Luck said in a statement. "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.”

Stanford is trying to rebuild its struggling football program after four straight seasons with a 3-9 record, including the last two with Taylor in charge.

Luck was hired last November to run the football program and report directly to school president Jon Levin. Stanford is also currently searching for an athletic director with Alden Mitchell hired last week as interim following Bernard Muir's decision to step down.

Luck said earlier this month that Reich was one of the people he has consulted since taking this new job.

Reich played 13 years in the NFL as mostly a backup quarterback before having a long coaching career in the NFL starting in 2006 in Indianapolis. He was offensive coordinator in 2017 when Philadelphia won its first Super Bowl and was hired after that season as head coach for the Colts.

He went to four Super Bowls as a player in Buffalo, coming off the bench to engineer the biggest playoff comeback in NFL history when he rallied the Bills back from a 35-3 deficit to win a wild-card game in the 1992 season. He also went to two Super Bowls with Colts as a coaching intern in 2006 and an assistant in 2009.

Reich and Luck teamed to go 10-6 and win a playoff game that season before Luck abruptly retired just before the start of the 2019 season.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

Reich made the playoffs just one time in his final four seasons without Luck on the Colts and was fired during the 2022 season.

He was hired the following year by Carolina and was fired during the 2023 season after starting his tenure 1-10. He had a 41-43-1 regular season record as a head coach in the NFL.

ESPN reported two weeks ago that Taylor had been investigated twice since taking over before the 2023 season over allegations of hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, against female staff members.

Both investigations determined that Taylor’s treatment of employees, particularly of women, was inconsistent with Stanford’s standards, according to ESPN.

The second investigation concluded that Taylor retaliated against a compliance staffer who had found seven minor NCAA infractions by “seeking her removal from her assigned duties.”

The report said investigators had never encountered “this palpable level of animosity and disdain” for a university compliance office, according to ESPN.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football