The Colts gave Frank Reich his first head coaching job. He hopes it’s not his last.
Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Reich in a phone call Monday morning.
Reich told Mike Chappell of Fox 59 that, in the short term, he and his wife, Linda, are driving to North Carolina to visit children and grandchildren, and taking time to decompress. After that, Reich hopes to find the next coaching job.
“I think you keep all your options open,’’ Reich told Chappell. “Obviously my desire is to be a head coach. I love the game. I love everything about the game, so you keep all of your options open.’’
Reich, 60, leaves Indianapolis with a 41-35-1 record that includes a 1-2 mark in two playoff appearances. He regrets his Colts failed to win the AFC South and never seriously challenged for a Super Bowl title.
The Colts, who named former player Jeff Saturday as interim coach, are 3-5-1 and have lost three in a row.
“There’s disappointment and hurt,’’ Reich said. “It hurts. It hurts to have it happen in the middle of the season, but I understand the business side of things. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Irsay and I’ve come to trust his instincts and his knowledge of the game. I just know he’s doing what he thinks is best for the team.
“I can live with that. I gave my heart and soul to the job, to the guys, to everything I did there. I didn’t take anything for granted.’’
