Of the 43 interim head coaches hired this century, the Colts’ Jeff Saturday move generated by far the most attention. Saturday’s inexperience headlined last week’s NFL news cycle, and high-ranking Colts staffers aimed to convince Jim Irsay to go in a different direction.
Both GM Chris Ballard and team president Pete Ward expressed reservations about Irsay’s plan to hire Saturday, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Others joined Ballard, who is in his sixth year as GM, and Ward, who has been with the Colts since before their 1984 Indianapolis move, in advising against the decision. But Irsay steadfastly pulled the trigger on Saturday, who is now 1-0 as Colts HC.
Irsay called Saturday during the Colts’ Week 9 loss to the Patriots, discussing the team’s protections. That discussion led to an offer to become Indianapolis’ interim HC. Had Saturday not accepted the job, Irsay would not have fired Frank Reich, Zak Keefer of The Athletic notes (subscription required). That points to Irsay’s conviction on the inexperienced coach while also revealing an obvious lack of desire to promote one of Reich’s assistants to the post.
[RELATED: Irsay Reaffirms Commitment To Ballard For 2023]
Some of Reich’s assistants have expressed displeasure with Irsay’s call, and it is safe to say the Colts’ staff will look considerably different next season. Following last week’s report of quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich turning down the opportunity to call plays, Rapoport and Pelissero confirm as much and note the Colts’ play-calling offer did not include any adjustments to his current contract. Milanovich, a former Grey Cup-winning head coach, has been Indy’s QBs coach since 2021, when the team promoted Marcus Brady to replace Nick Sirianni. The Colts fired Brady earlier this season.
Milanovich and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery — each of whom having play-calling experience, though most of it coming outside the NFL — will play a big role in game-planning, Saturday said. But Parks Frazier has made the unusual leap from assistant QBs coach to play-caller.
Saturday also had the freedom to bench Sam Ehlinger and reinstall Matt Ryan as the starter, a choice Irsay does not appear to have made available for Reich. The five-year Colts HC did not back the Irsay-driven pivot to Ehlinger, and Keefer adds the players were not behind the Ryan benching as well. Despite Ryan’s nine interceptions and 11 fumbles through seven games, Keefer notes the Colts’ roster viewed the veteran as the player who gave the team its best chance to win. Recovered from his shoulder injury, Ryan received first-team reps during Colts practice last week, Keefer tweets.
The Colts did enjoy the opportunity of facing a Raiders defense that has slipped from below average — under current Colts DC Gus Bradley — in 2021 to one of the league’s worst units. Las Vegas ranks 28th in both points allowed and total defense. The Colts still entered Week 10 as underdogs, and their Saturday-Frazier-Ryan direction nevertheless led to a victory. Moving to 4-5-1, the Colts remain a fringe AFC contender — record-wise, at least — and outings like Sunday’s will provide ammunition for Irsay’s hope of Saturday sticking around beyond 2022.
No interim HC has been retained since Doug Marrone kept the Jaguars’ reins, after the team fired Bradley, in 2016. Saturday moving into position to buck this trend would add to the scrutiny engulfing the Colts, but it is safe to say traditional norms regarding interim HCs do not apply here. This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting interim stretches in modern NFL history.
It’s going to be tough to tank this year given all the 3 win teams.
Irsay sure is taking the spotlight off Tepper, Haslam, and Snyder for their offseason developments. They should send him a gift basket.
It’s his team, he owns it. It’s his decision. He’s experimenting right now on a pretty average team.
Just because it’s his team doesn’t mean it isn’t stupid what he did.
Is Carolina better off promoting from w/in? What’s the difference?
1-0 thus far so it doesn’t look that stupid. Who knows if it’s a long term solution but why not try something different? They have nothing to lose. It’s not like they’re close to competing for a championship.
His money his decision. When you own a team NO ONE should be telling you or what who to hire.
Some experiments are saner than others.
He clearly out coached Josh last week. Josh has over a decade as OC and a former HC. Is the high school coach better than the ‘pro’ coach?
Josh is also a horrible coach, though.
Saturday wasn’t forced to start Ehlinger over Ryan, which certainly gave him a better shot to succeed. We’ll see how he does when he has to face a functioning NFL team.
I feel the Colts have done a terrific job of validating my rants against bloated executive and coaching staffs. The end result of all their hiring is now in-fighting and dysfunction.
Sounds like there some cry babies because Jeff got the job and not one of them . This team wasn’t going any where . So why not give Jeff a shot . If it didn’t work he can be let go season end .
yup . I mean he’s not getting 30 mil to intern HC so they r saving money getting the guy some exp and seeing what he can do . we know what the staff has done which is y they have the record they do . so what’s the point of promoting from within to intern . we all know the new permanent HC will bring in new staff and change out players .
If someone with no professional experience gets hired for the top job in a field where you’ve paid your dues, that’s a valid complaint.
Josh sucks as a HC. As do all of the assistant coaches from NE. None last longer than 3 years as HC’s. They paid their dues right?
First of all, you’re factually incorrect. Bill O’Brien took four division titles as a head coach. Brian Daboll is looking good as a head coach. Brian Flores had winning seasons in his second and third years out of three years as head coach. And while Vrabel wasn’t a coach on Belichick’s staff, he spent most of his playing career for Belichick and then spent all his NFL assistant coaching time under former Belichick assistants. The idea that Belichick’s assistants are 100% failure is counterfactual.
And rebutting the Saturday hire with just failed coaches is nonsense anyway. Every single head coach in the NFL has spent time coaching at at least the Division I college level, and every head coach except for Kingsbury (a bottom five coach to my eye) has spent significant time as an assistant coach at the NFL level. Literally every head coach has paid their dues significantly more than Saturday. So has everyone on staff who is now expected to report to Saturday. It’s bad process and a slap in the face to other people. Not just coaches on staff, but to other people in the organization whose work might be judged by the execution of a guy who isn’t qualified.
Do you just enjoy arguing? It’s openly discussed that Bill’s teaching tree is terrible. It’s not some secret. Here’s a list of names for you from his ‘tree’.
A Groh, Crennel, Mangini, Schwartz, Josh McD, M Patricia, Judge & Flores.
Flores couldn’t do anything. He wanted Tua gone and w/ a new HC, Tua is looking like a MVP caliber player. That’s on the coach. He butted heads w/ the GM & owner non-stop & was factually proven wrong about being paid to throw games. That’s your boy.
As for Saturday. He did what everyone expected the Colts to do this year. Lean on the running game, have stable QB’ing, and solid D. He game planned how the team was built to do.
There are plenty of people that enter new roles and excel at them. ‘Paying your dues’ means nothing, can you perform? All industries are results driven. Is a washed up Ron Rivera helping DC? How about Lovie Houston? They paid their dues right? Both are horrible HC’s. That’s your logic?
I didn’t say Belichick’s tree hasn’t been disappointing. I said you were lying when you said everyone from it has sucked and lasted three years or less. O’Brien won four division titles and Daboll looks good. Facts.
Saturday benefited from being allowed to start Matt Ryan again and getting to face a bottom tier defense with a malfunctioning offense. Let’s see how his run-centric game plan works against a real team.
And no, I don’t like arguing with you. You jumped onto my comment, which you not so long ago claimed is obnoxious and said you never do. Another bogus statement from you.
I listed 8 coaches. 2 for you. Besides Daboll was a TE coach in NE and his last season there was 2016. But hey if you want credit for that, have it.
There is no law whom private businesses must hire for executive roles. That’s a fact as well.
You said they all suck. I provided counterexamples. And Daboll was also there from 2000-2006. It was his first foray into NFL coaching and the place he’s worked the most.
And who said anything about a law?
Good luck against Philly. The guy the Colts should of never let leave the building Nick Sirianni. Is gonna have him for dinner
I feel that getting leapfrogged to the top spot in the NFL, or any other entertainment based position, is different than a nobody taking the top role at an engineering company. It’s not like Saturday isn’t experienced. He’s lived and breathed the sport for longer than many coaches in the league. Also, it’s quite apparent than Irsay wanted someone with a strong personality to shift a weakening Colts culture. Sometimes a shakeup is needed.
Exactly right. My last employer brought in an outsider for a newly opened outside sales position. There were 3 others already w/ the company. The new guy took over as VP of Sales w/in a year not the guys that ‘paid their dues’. And it was the right decision for the company. In fact, the other 3 sales people learned a ton and made/make more money because of his role.
There’s such a thing as qualifications. Saturday has zero experience. McVay leapfrogged. Tomlin leapfrogged. Saturday is treating head coach in the NFL as an entry level job. If playing experience matters, there are plenty of people who have both. Reggie Wayne was already coaching on the team. The roster is a much bigger problem than the culture.
If the roster is the biggest problem, why do you care who’s coaching the team? Yell about the GM instead. But that’s above your capabilities.
The GM has some mistakes for which he needs to answer. That doesn’t mean nuking the coach position helps anything, culture or otherwise.
Players in the MLB & NBA have stepped in to run teams and done well. Why not the NFL?
Saturday knows football, knows players and most importantly, from some reports is a charismatic leader. That last point is the most important.
I hope his assistants don’t sabotage him…..
I think it’s a good call to bring him in to be intern HC . we all know a new HC hire will bring all new people in or mostly new . and he apparently didn’t see enough of the staff to give them the HC job permanently so u know they will not be retained by a new permanent HC .
I think it’s smart to bring in Saturday. what’s the worst thing that happens the team loses and he is replaced by a permanent HC in the off-season wow That’s really something we have never ever seen. come on the team has not done anything this yr so they were gonna keep losing so what u give a guy some NFL HC experience and let him see what he can do the last few games with zero pressure.
people making this out to be something it’s not. so many coaches with NFL and college experience have failed as a HC and as an intern HC , so y not give a guy a shoot for what 7 games . he has HC experience just not NFL or college.
This confirms my long held theory than any high school coach in America is better than Josh McDaniels.
Most overrated footstool in pro sports.
Well, as a coordinator, McDaniels has the ability. Or maybe it’s just when he works under Belichick. But every one of us likely could have told you how bad he was as a head coach. That episode with (ironically) Indianapolis should have ended it, but of course it didn’t.
I still, despite my dislike personally of McDaniels and his objective incompetence, find him to be the second worst coach in a division that includes Nathaniel Hackett.
It was having Tom as his QB that made him look good. Just like the Den HC looked awesome while having Aaron throw the ball around.
I’m certain that helped, but McDaniels did a great job gameplanning to suit Brady’s strengths and helping to cover the team’s weaknesses. He made Brady look better than some of the other coordinators that New England had in the past, mostly be helping Brady having multiple options open quickly so Brady could get rid of the ball before the defense got to him.
Of course, Brady had to hit those throws, but McDaniels does deserve credit for the effectiveness of his scheming for the offense.
How long have you held that theory?
Irsay can hire any coach he wants as it’s his team. People need to quit crying over this in all sports every time someone is hired with minor minimal experience. If Saturday doesn’t do the job well then Irsay can take the criticism for it.
People persistently and consistently pro and fan underestimate the value of ‘the system’. Not a lot of people at the coach/QB level can just move to another team and expect to succeed.
That’s a major reason why coaches/QB’s should decide to take the job or not.
There’s always all this talk about money and the players on the field but a large part of this ‘wha happen?!’ is these guys fail to realize how vital the previous system around you with those set of people was.
Even moving an entire system doesn’t always work, Josh McDaniels is most likely representative of that. You can’t necessarily just take the Tom Brady stamp and stick it on a different QB and offense. It might not work.
As for Saturday, it’s great that he won his first game, but there’s a lot more press conferences to get through this year. Hopefully, they’re not brutal for his sake.