It’s time for Frank Reich to enter the Coach of the Year conversation

Frank Reich has done a tremendous job leading the Indianapolis Colts this season and has been one of the best coaches this year.

If the Indianapolis Colts can defeat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday they will move to 10-6 and will clinch a playoff spot. This is a reality that was nearly unfathomable 13 weeks ago when Indianapolis was just 1-4.

The Colts turn around is often attributed to MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor and a turnover-forcing defense. While they have been the story on the field, the team’s top leader, head coach Frank Reich, also deserves some credit for the job he has done.

After a slow 1-4 start, a team could have easily lost its confidence and continued to falter throughout the season. Under Reich’s leadership, the opposite happened, Indy developed into one of the best teams in the NFL.

Frank Reich is turning the Colts into a powerhouse

Thanks to the cameras and documentation of “Hard Knocks”, fans have been able to get an in-depth look at the type of culture Reich has created that leads to success.

Reich routinely encourages players and expresses his trust and belief in them. He has an open-door policy that allows players to make suggestions without his ego being insulted. Reich also knows how to celebrate moments but still remind the team of the ultimate goal.

This culture is what helped the Colts get a monumental victory over the Arizona Cardinals with Darius Leonard and majority of the starting offensive line sidelined. A win so impressive that Indy’s general manager, Chris Ballard, expressed his disbelief to Reich with some NSFW language.

Indy has been able to pull off several impressive wins in games that many didn’t even give the team a chance. Whether it was in Week 11 against Buffalo, Week 15 against the Patriots, or Week 16 against Arizona, the Colts constantly exceeded expectations, making all the experts who picked against them look foolish.

Again, part of the success is because of the talented players on the roster, but the other part is because of Reich’s ability to galvanize that talent.

Reich’s leadership may be acknowledged at the end of the season with the Coach of the Year award. Entering Week 17, Reich has the second-best odds to win the award at +300, according to WynnBET.

He trails Green Bay Packers’ coach Matt Lefleur, and will likely have other competition in the actual voting. Whether it’s Brian Flores or Zac Taylor who have turned around their franchises with young quarterbacks or Bill Belichick who has the Patriots back on the map, it will be a crowded field.

Whether Reich wins it or not, he has done a special job with Indianapolis this season. His success may eventually lead to Reich and the Colts holding up a different, more coveted trophy.

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