Orchard Park, N.Y. — Even before Doug Marrone surprisingly opted out of his contract on Wednesday night, one name kept coming up as his potential replacement as Buffalo Bills head coach.

Former Bills quarterback and current San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is the lead candidate for Buffalo's head coach vacancy, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the Jets have already asked permission to interview Reich, so the Bills won't be his only suitors.

Here are a few things to know about the Bills' head coaching candidate.

Long history in Buffalo

Reich spent 10 seasons with the Buffalo Bills after the team drafted him in the third round of the 1985 NFL Draft. While he spent most of his Bills career backing up Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, Reich is famous for leading the biggest comeback in NFL history: A 41-38 overtime win over the Houston Oilers in a wildcard playoff game after trailing 35-3. Needless to say, Reich holds a special place in Bills history. New Bills owner Terry Pegula brought in plenty of former Sabres when he took over that franchise, and that could be an indication of his behavior in the NFL.

Bill Polian brought Frank Reich to Carolina

Multiple reports suggest that former Bills, Colts and Panthers general manager Bill Polian could be brought in as the Bills' team president sooner rather than later. Guess who Polian made his first quarterback with the Panthers back in the expansion draft in 1995: Frank Reich. If you're looking for a connection, there it is.

He's worked under successful head coaches

OK, so Reich has plenty of ties to the Bills, but can he coach? Well, he's somewhat new to coaching in the NFL, but he's rising up the rankings quickly. It's worth pointing out that Reich started his career under Colts coach Tony Dungy before moving on to coach with the Cardinals under Ken Whisenhunt, who helped Arizona get to the Super Bowl. Most recently, Reich coached under Mike McCoy in San Diego, where Reich was his offensive coordinator.

How did he do as offensive coordinator?

Reich got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator and calling plays in 2014, and he had mixed results. The Chargers looked like one of the best offensive teams in the league early in the season, but they faltered a bit due to injuries and other factors. Still, in terms of yards per game, San Diego's passing offense was in the top 10. Overall, their offense ended up in the middle of the pack by most statistical measures.

Reich is a motivational speaker

While Reich doesn't have head coaching experience at any level, he does have experience as a motivational speaker. He uses his faith and his football experience in his speaking. There is no guarantee that will translate when it comes to motivating an NFL locker room, but it provides a bit of insight into Reich as a person.