A stop at Stanford before Frank Reich rides off into the sunset

Fourteen years as an NFL quarterback.

Eight different assistant coaching positions with four different professional franchises.

A Super Bowl championship with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.

Six seasons as an NFL head coach with Indianapolis and then Carolina.

And now this.

Read More: For Frank Reich, head coach job with Carolina is next chapter, new challenge

It has been a football journey the likes of which few have ever embarked on. It’s been a five-decade football career that even eternally optimistic Frank Reich couldn’t have ever imagined.

But through it all, Reich has stayed true to his upbringing in Lebanon, fostered lasting relationships and friendships, and lived his faith passionately. Of all his many accomplishments, those might be the greatest.

“It’s been a lot of highs, some lows, and everything in between,” said Reich. “It has just been a tremendous experience. But my center piece has been my faith life. I think there are very few things that I’ve enjoyed more than the constant challenge of trying to be better. I think the NFL has been a great place for that. I wouldn’t trade any of it. It’s all been very important in the overall picture.”

In March, Reich came out of retirement to accept the head football coaching position at Stanford University on a one-year, interim basis. After being away from the game for a year and a half, the 63-year-old Cedar Crest graduate had made the decision to retire a month earlier.

Then, current Stanford general manager and former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, who had played for Reich in Indy, made his phone ring.

“In February (wife) Linda and I said, ‘We’re retired,’” said Reich. “Andrew called and said he needed help. It was Andrew and Stanford. I wanted to help my friend out and coming to Stanford, I thought it would impact me and I thought I could impact these young men.”

“I did un-retire,” continued Reich, “just for this year. It’s a one-year thing. But I’m excited. I’m all in. It’s going to be special.”

Patient, deliberate, and committed, Reich is new to this “interim” concept, in much the same way he is new to the NCAA Division One college game. But through his years of experience, Reich has come to understand that football is football, coaching is coaching, and players are people.

A year after leaving the Pac-12 Conference, Stanford went 3-9 as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. Stanford opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 23 at Hawaii.

“It doesn’t affect my approach,” said Reich of the one-year agreement. “I’m operating like I’m all in for the longer term. No one makes a big deal out of it. We’re all approaching it like it’s a good thing. We don’t talk about or belabor the point.”

“It’s been outstanding,” he added. “These young men are super bright, just like NFL players. I think the biggest difference here is that they’re hanging on every word. In the NFL, it’s more collaboration.”

Reich’s most recent NFL coaching stint was one of the most challenging experiences of his career. During the middle of the 2023 season, he was let go after the Carolina Panthers had gone 1-10 with the NFL draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, at quarterback.

Reich’s career record as an NFL coach stands at 42-45-1.

“They were good years,” said Reich, of his time away from the game. “It was doing a lot of other things – doing charity work, spending time with family, doing some speaking. Life is complicated sometimes. When you say ‘retirement,’ what does that really mean? I’m always going to think I have the ability to contribute. I also thought I’d benefit (from taking the Stanford position) as well.

“You miss the camaraderie and the competition. You get close to other coaches, and the players in the NFL are the best in the world.”

Following the conclusion of Stanford’s football season in December, Reich is prepared to re-retire. He will do so with few, if any, regrets.

“I haven’t thought too much about it,” said Reich. “It’s just not how I operate. I don’t plan too far ahead. I’m just all in on this year. When it’s over, we’ll move on and live our lives. But I do have some ideas I might pursue.”

If we have learned anything from Reich over the years, it’s to never say never.