The Indianapolis Colts’ head coach has announced his departure because of…
NFL Coaches and Executives React to the Colts Head Coach Scenario
GettyThe Indianapolis Colts sacked head coach Frank Reich on November 7 and replaced him with ESPN pundit Jeff Saturday.
The media had its day of reaction when the Indianapolis Colts announced that they would be firing Frank Reich and installing TV pundit Jeff Saturday as the team’s temporary head coach. In the NFL, executives and coaches are increasingly rotating in shifts.
They are astonished and “bewildered” on par with the reporters covering the Colts overall.
“It’s an incredibly clever move to [crap] on an entire industry of coaches,” a league source emailed senior reporter Matt Lombardo on Saturday following Indianapolis’ announcement as the team’s interim head coach.possessing several coaches inside your organization. It was a wise decision to choose a man who has never coached at any level.
Colts Select Saturday vs. Other Eligible Staff Candidates
At his first press conference, Saturday started off by praising the Colts’ coaching staff. For a man who had convinced himself he had to win over the Indianapolis locker room, that was a smart move.
Still, why would Colts owner Jim Irsay name a TV pundit as the team’s acting head coach when their coaching staff is so good remains a mystery.
Indianapolis employs two former head coaches, John Fox and Gus Bradley. While Fox coached the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears, winning 133 games, Bradley has among the lowest winning percentages of any head coach in NFL history.
Bradley probably wouldn’t have been the best choice for the promotion otherwise, calling plays for the defense. His unit was doing just well, so there was no reason to get involved.
Nonetheless, Fox might have assumed the role of acting head coach in the meantime while serving as the team’s senior defensive assistant during this time.
The special teams coordinator, Bubba Ventrone, might then be ours. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Ventrone is seen as a coach on the rise in NFL circles.
Running back coach Scottie Montgomery and quarterback coach Scott Milanovich were two other interesting candidates. Montgomery oversaw East Carolina from 2016 to 2018, while Milanovich served as the CFL’s head coach for five seasons.
Leaving the competent coaches on staff unchecked may have repercussions when the Colts implement a more thorough hiring procedure for the head coach following the season. How well the Colts use this opportunity on Saturday does not matter; they still need to conduct that deeper search in compliance with the Rooney Rule.
Will hiring on Saturday have an impact on that search? Howe responded with a resounding “yes.”
However, it’s conceivable that contenders may have differing views regarding the stability of the post when the Colts search for a new head coach in the coming months. A former NFL head coach stated, “The next round of interviewers will be aware that something similar could happen again if Saturday is the hand-picked replacement by ownership.” This might be relevant in some way. “Those who have held head coaching positions in the past are usually pickier about their next job offers because they realize it’s probably their only chance.”
“One assistant coach and two executives from the opposing teams described the events on Monday as ‘crazy.'”
Executives surveyed by The Athletic generally believed that things with the Colts were hard to comprehend.
For Heavy.com, sportswriter Dave Holcomb covers the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for Fansided and Rotowire, among other outlets.
