Eagles offensive coordinator Reich signs deal to coach Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts’ second choice to fill their head coaching vacancy could turn out to be even better than the first.

And Frank Reich has the Super Bowl championship gear to prove it.

Five days after New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reneged on a deal to take the Colts’ job, Indianapolis hired Reich, the man who outwitted McDaniels at Super Bowl LII and helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to their first NFL title since 1960.

“Frank is a leader of men who will demand excellence from our players on and off the field,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said in a statement released Sunday. “I look forward to working with Frank to deliver a championship-caliber team to the city of Indianapolis.”

Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but Reich is expected to be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. Colts officials posted a photo of Reich signing the deal on the team’s website.

The move ends a search that spanned 41 days, included two coaching announcements and the embarrassment of McDaniels changing his mind Tuesday night, just eight hours after telling the Colts he’d take the job. On Wednesday, Ballard answered questions for nearly 20 minutes before finishing by saying, “The rivalry is back on.”

Hiring Reich, another touted offensive coordinator, only added another chapter to the long and bitter series.

Exactly one week after backup quarterback Nick Foles executed an exquisite game plan to beat Tom Brady and the favored Patriots, the Colts brought back a longtime assistant who spent two seasons working with Peyton Manning.

Ballard interviewed the 56-year-old Reich on Friday, the day after Philadelphia held its victory celebration. He replaces Chuck Pagano, who was fired hours after finishing the season with a 4-12 record and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.