The Colts had a rookie head coach leading the ship this season. That coach has now been named as the AFC Coach of the Year.
Frank Reich was named a head coach for the first time in his career in February. It was after the Colts had had a tumultuous search that saw them get left at the altar by an assistant for another team. But Reich made the best of the situation and is getting recognized for it.
Reich was named the AFC Coach fo the Year by the NFL 101 awards. There were plenty of ups and downs for him in his first season. Starting out 1-5 was not the start he envisioned. But then his team rattled off 10 wins in 11 games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Winning this award is just further validation that the Colts made the right decision in hiring Reich. He fought through adversity and showed that he can turn a team around when things get tough. That is the type of coach you want on your sideline. You know he won’t ever give up.
Making the playoffs after their start is the most impressive thing a Colts coach has done in quite some time. His aggressive play calling was also a good thing for the offense. It brought a lot of brand new looks that helped Andrew Luck get rid of the ball quickly.
The Colts are well positioned for future success with the roster that is in place. Reich came into the job this season saying that this season was not a re-building year and he thought they could contend. He was right, and he’s going to contend for the next few years too.