Frank Reich returns to the NFL as Jets offensive coordinator

Frank Reich is headed back to the NFL, taking over as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator in a move aimed at jump-starting a struggling unit after a 3–14 season. The hire reunites Reich with first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, a former teammate from their playing days, and puts a veteran play-caller in charge of an offense that finished near the bottom of the league in multiple categories.

Reich, 64, last coached in the NFL as a head coach and spent the past year in the college game, giving the Jets a blend of recent sideline experience and a long track record of designing offenses around different quarterback styles.

Why the Jets made the change

The Jets entered this offseason needing an immediate course correction on offense. The team moved on from its prior coordinator after one season, then prioritized experience in the replacement search—an approach that fits a roster looking for faster results than a full schematic rebuild.

Leaguewide stats from the 2025 season underscored the urgency. The Jets ranked near the bottom in scoring and total offense, and their passing output was among the league’s weakest. That combination has put pressure on the new staff to find both stability and identity quickly.

What Frank Reich brings to the job

Reich’s résumé is built on offense. He has coordinated and called plays for multiple teams and has a Super Bowl ring from a high-profile coordinator run earlier in his career. He also has head-coaching experience, including a multi-year stint in Indianapolis that featured playoff trips, followed by a short tenure in Carolina.

That mix matters for the Jets because the role is not only about play design. It’s also about installing a weekly game plan, managing in-game adjustments, and developing an approach that can survive injuries, protection issues, or changes at quarterback.

The Aaron Glenn connection and staff direction

Reich and Glenn go back decades, which can speed up decision-making early in an offseason when terminology, staff workflow, and practice structure have to lock in quickly. Familiarity doesn’t guarantee success, but it can reduce the “getting to know you” friction that often slows new coaching staffs.

The staff’s early signals suggest an emphasis on adaptability—building an offense that can shift week to week rather than forcing a single system onto a roster that may change between free agency, the draft, and training camp.

The biggest question: quarterback and structure

The Jets’ quarterback picture is the hinge point for how Reich’s offense will look. Without a clearly settled starter, the coordinator’s job becomes two tracks at once: build a core identity (protection rules, run-game menu, quick-game answers) while keeping enough flexibility to tailor the plan to whoever ultimately takes the snaps.

Reich has coached both veteran passers and younger quarterbacks, and the early “win” for the Jets would be a clearer offensive structure: fewer negative plays, more manageable third downs, and a passing game that marries protection with timing.

What to watch next: combine to camp

With the scouting calendar moving quickly, Reich’s immediate work will be collaboration—aligning the offense with personnel priorities before major roster decisions are made. The most telling indicators over the next several months will be:

• the style of offensive linemen and skill players the Jets target,

• whether the team adds quarterback competition,

• and whether early installation leans more run-balanced or pass-first.

By the time camp opens, the Jets will need a simple answer to a complicated question: what does this offense want to be, and can it execute that identity every week?

Sources consulted: Reuters, Associated Press, NFL.com, New York Jets