Jim Irsay‘s unusual decision to name Jeff Saturday as his team’s interim head coach has not been well-received around the league. Among Frank Reich‘s holdover staffers, a fair amount of unrest has emerged.
Saturday is going with assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as his offensive play-caller in Week 10, but Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reports Frazier was not the first choice. QBs coach Scott Milanovich, a former Jaguars play-caller who helmed the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup as head coach in 2012, turned down the chance to call plays.
Milanovich called plays in Canada and for a short stretch with the Jaguars. He has been on Reich’s staff since last year. While Frazier has been with the Colts since Reich’s 2018 arrival, the 30-year-old does not have play-calling experience and was on the quality control level as recently as 2020. The Colts also have former East Carolina HC and Maryland OC Scottie Montgomery on staff as running backs coach; Montgomery was on the Panthers’ OC radar this offseason.
[RELATED: Reich Aiming For Another HC Job]
Irsay’s decision to hire Saturday has caused tumult among staffers and players, according to La Canfora, who adds Matt Ryan and other veterans were “irate” when informed of the Reich-for-Saturday swap. Some vets have said they do not want to play for the team any longer, though the trade deadline having passed limits players’ options. GM Chris Ballard, whom Irsay said was not in danger of being canned, told players the Saturday decision came “directly from the owner.” Irsay made that plain with his comments this week.
Irsay being behind the firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady is not surprising, but La Canfora notes the owner overruled Reich on quarterback selection. Reich did not view Sam Ehlinger as ready to play, and although the since-fired HC did not want to bench the struggling Ryan, he would have gone to Nick Foles before Ehlinger. Reich said this offseason he had wanted to acquire Foles in previous years. Prior to Ehlinger replacing Ryan, he moved past Foles as Indy’s QB2. It does not appear Reich backed that move.
The Colts are 0-2 with the 2021 sixth-round pick starting, and although Ehlinger drew praise from Reich, some around the league believe the Colts are tanking with their Saturday-Ehlinger-Frazier strategy. Irsay vehemently pushed back on that notion (via The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz), but the Colts — who also traded Nyheim Hines‘ through-2024 contract to the Bills at the deadline — will be far less experienced in key spots when they face the Raiders on Sunday.
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, that we’re tanking,” Irsay said. “That’s bulls—. We’re in this thing; 9-7-1 get us in, no question about it. … We’re not tanking the season. Whoever says these things, that we’re not playing Matt because [of an effort to tank], that’s all bulls—. That’s not true. … We’re going to do what it takes to win. I don’t know who people think we are, they don’t know us. We don’t tank in Indianapolis.”
Irsay also said, via Kravitz, Ryan could play again this year. Previously, the thought was Reich’s 2023 injury guarantee will keep him sidelined. Ryan has missed time with a shoulder injury, but upon switching to Ehlinger, Reich said the move was not injury-related. The longtime Indianapolis owner said it is inaccurate to suggest he forced the QB switch on Reich, indicating Saturday will have free rein to change quarterbacks. Irsay has, however, taken a hands-on role regarding quarterbacks this year. He forced the trade of Carson Wentz and instructed Ballard to finalize the Ryan deal, so his fingerprints being on the Ehlinger move would not be a stretch.
The Colts won the Andrew Luck sweepstakes 10 years ago, going 2-14 in 2011. But the team losing Peyton Manning for a full season led to that pick, rather than a full-fledged tanking effort. Though, the Colts certainly benefited from losing at the right time. Indianapolis has yet to find a Luck replacement; the team will certainly be linked to first-round passers in 2023.
Reich’s staff also includes DC Gus Bradley, a four-year Jaguars HC who has been on the coordinator level for over a decade, and former Panthers, Broncos and Bears HC John Fox, a senior defensive assistant. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is viewed as a rising talent in the coaching ranks. The Saturday decision and Irsay’s defense of the choice has drawn criticism from other staffers around the league, Kimberley Martin of ESPN.com tweets.
The Rooney Rule does not apply to interim hires. Rod Graves, the director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, on Twitter) that should change going forward. The NFL’s expanding of the Rooney Rule in recent years certainly points to the possibility it will later apply to interim hires. It is not yet known if the league will discuss that matter for potential 2023 application.
Gosh, I can’t believe suddenly bringing in an outsider who’s never coached above the high school level to be head coach for the rest of the season has alienated players and coaches. Who could have seen that coming?
Saturday is in the ring of honor, so technically not an outsider.
He wasn’t a member of the coaching staff. He was brought in from outside.
He played there 10 seasons. Technically the coaching staff he’s replacing were the outsiders.
He was part of the organization. He was not part of the team he is now coaching. The people who’ve been with the team all year, and in many cases the previous year or several, are not outsiders in the way he is. You’re not technically correct, you’re pedantically wrong.
*pedantically correct
There is something weirdly intriguing about watching Oooof engage in these “glass half empty/half full” discussions. He’s become rather adept at it and I sometimes wonder if he is getting pointers from my wife.
Maybe it wasn’t Carson Wentz after all. Who would have thought it was Irsay all along.
No 4th down calls are required in the CFL so maybe that influenced Milanovich’s decision.
The Rooney Rule for mid season interim hires now? Give me a break. Are teams supposed to go around the league at mid season, and drag already employed coaches away from their teams for interviews, usually ones with realistic playoff(if not more) aspirations, to hire a coach that stands a strong chance of not even being brought back after the season. The stupidity level on this planet to false virtue signal just increases by the moment.
Irsay needs to be ‘checked’ by a doc as he’s been mouthing off uncontrollably more than Jerry J.
Not tanking? Then they’re just finding the new formula to top 5 draft pick. I didn’t think Frank was doing a dastardly job and his play calling has kept the team in games but as a coach you reap what players fail to accomplish!
You must not have seen any games this year if you think Reich wasn’t that bad & his play calling kept the Colts in games. Down every game at halftime, no points on the opening drive either. All teams script the first 15-20 plays, conceivably tailored to their opponent. Reich was always falling behind, constantly outcoached, and maybe he’s the comeback king because he fall behind so much as it is. Won’t employ a fullback, but brings a TE to do a wildcat direct snap. Brilliant.
Snyder might be the most corrupt owner, but Irsay sure is giving him a run for his money with respect to pure incompetence.
The sheer amount of meddling is ridiculous at this point. Hiring an outside influence as an interim coach? Dictating critical managerial decisions? Being an unfaithful, two-faced lier week in and week out? Why would ANYONE want to work for this franchise at this point?
“We’re not tanking the season.” Sure, Jim. Is that why Hines got traded for scraps with 2.5 years left on his contract? Or why you forced Reich to sub in an unprepared, former sixth rounder after insisting on the Ryan deal being made? Or why you hired someone from outside the organization as your interim? You’re not fooling anyone, so you might as well at least be honest
No one ever named Irsay has had the ability to be honest.
I agree that Irsay’s recent behavior is going to severely hamper the Colts’ ability to attract any reasonable coaching candidates moving forward. No coach with any options would ever consider going into such an insane atmosphere. Same goes for free agent players.