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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Josh McDaniels Prefers Titans To Colts?

January 15th, 2018 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Josh McDaniels will be the next head coach of the Colts. Or maybe not. Josh McDaniels (vertical)

The Titans canned Mike Mularkey on Monday morning, opening up speculation that the Titans have their eye on another head coaching candidate. If that preferred candidate is McDaniels, then they could have a match. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link), the belief prior to the Colts report was that McDaniels would prefer the Titans to all of the other available coaching jobs. McDaniels is high on Marcus Mariota‘s potential and also has concerns about Andrew Luck‘s health.

McDaniels may have had a verbal agreement with the Colts, but there’s nothing in writing as the Patriots’ season is still ongoing. Until then, there will be speculation surrounding a reunion between McDaniels and former Pats exec Jon Robinson,

Josh McDaniels Expected To Become Colts’ HC

January 14th, 2018 at 8:33am CST by Rory Parks

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expected to become the Colts’ next head coach. McDaniels has reportedly told his potential assistants to wait for him, and Rapoport’s sources believe McDaniels is Indianapolis-bound once New England’s season is over.

Josh McDaniels (Vertical)

Just yesterday, we learned that McDaniels and former Patriots linebacker (and current Texans DC) Mike Vrabel were the finalists for the Colts’ head coaching job. But McDaniels has seemed like the favorite for awhile now, especially given ownership’s desire for something of a splashy hire.

McDaniels compiled an underwhelming 11-17 record during his two-year stint as head coach of the Broncos, but he has more than restored his viability as a head coach since returning to New England. The Patriots’ offense has ranked in the top-10 in points scored during each of his nine years as the Pats’ OC, and McDaniels’ unit put up yet another impressive showing in the team’s divisional round win over Tennessee last night.

McDaniels, of course, has had the privilege of working with Tom Brady during his New England career, and he will inherit another excellent signal-caller in Andrew Luck should he take the Colts’ job. Luck’s health, though, will continue to be a major topic of discussion this offseason, and it was rumored that his shoulder injury may scare off top head coaching candidates. Luckily for Indianapolis, that does not appear to be the case.

As we learned several days ago, Cowboys linebackers coach Matt Eberflus — who is currently a free agent — is McDaniels’ top choice for defensive coordinator, per Rapoport (via Twitter).

Josh McDaniels, Mike Vrabel Finalists For Colts’ HC Job

January 13th, 2018 at 11:11am CST by Ben Levine

Nearly two weeks after firing coach Chuck Pagano, it sounds like the Colts are zeroing in on a pair of potential replacements. NFL.com’s Albert Breer reports (via Twitter) that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel have “emerged as finalists” for the head coaching gig.

Josh McDaniels (Vertical)The Colts cast a relatively wide net during their search. In addition to Vrabel and McDaniels, our head coaching tracker shows that the organization also reached out to Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, former Chiefs offensive coordinator (and current Bears head coach) Matt Nagy, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. Breer cautions that the Colts could add another name to their list of “finalists.”

McDaniels compiled an underwhelming 11-17 record during his two-year stint with the Broncos, but he’s had a lot more success serving as the offensive coordinator for the Patriots. New England’s offense has ranked in the top-10 for points scored during each of his nine years at the helm. Meanwhile, Vrabel’s first season as the Texans defensive coordinator didn’t lead to stellar results. However, the former Patriots linebacker previously displayed his coaching chops while serving as Houston’s linebackers coach between 2014 and 2016.

Matt Rhule Withdraws From Colts’ Search

January 11th, 2018 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts interviewed Baylor head coach Matt Rhule in an expansive search to replace Chuck Pagano, but their search thinned out a bit on Thursday night.

Rhule will opt to stay at Baylor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This comes after a scheduled Thursday interview with Carolina DC Steve Wilks did not occur.

Rapoport noted the Colts appear to be gearing their search around a more offensive-minded leader. The 42-year-old Rhule has coached on both sides of the ball, with his NFL experience coming as the Giants’ offensive line coach (in 2012), but his most recent assistant jobs (at Temple) were on offense. This leaves Josh McDaniels alone as an offensively geared coach in a search that included meetings with Seahawks DC Kris Richard and Texans DC Mike Vrabel.

Rhule will coach at the Waco, Texas, program for a second season. He was Temple’s HC for four seasons prior to getting the Big 12 gig.

Steve Wilks No Longer Scheduled To Interview With Colts

January 11th, 2018 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Steve Wilks‘ path could be clearing up, because reports have come out Thursday night distancing the Panthers’ DC from the Giants’ and Colts’ HC jobs.

Wilks’ Colts interview, initially scheduled to take place today, will no longer commence, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport reports Wilks has “no plans” to interview with the Colts presently, adding the team looks more focused on hiring an offensive-minded coach.

ESPN.com’s Mike Wells tweets this could have been more of a scheduling issue, although Wilks completed back-to-back interviews — with the Giants on Tuesday and the Cardinals on Wednesday — already this week. The Colts wanted an earlier summit, Wells reports.

The Colts’ search remains fluid. Matt Nagy took the Bears’ HC job after meeting with the Colts, who have interviewed DCs Kris Richard and Mike Vrabel. Josh McDaniels remains in contention for the Indianapolis job but is also a finalist for the Giants’ position, a race in which Wilks looks to have fallen out of contention, although the Patriots’ OC may loom larger on the Colts’ radar than on the Giants’.

This could point to a Wilks/Cardinals path. He interviewed in Arizona on Wednesday, and the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder posits (on Twitter) the first-year DC could be nearing a deal elsewhere. Rapoport adds (Twitter link) McDaniels could be a good spot when it comes to landing the Colts’ job. McDaniels and Chris Ballard have the same agent, Holder notes, in Bob LaMonte.

Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk also notes Chiefs ST coach Dave Toub is expected to draw interest from the Colts. No report has emerged linking Toub, who interviewed for HC jobs last season, to a Colts summit yet.

Colts To Interview Steve Wilks Again?

January 11th, 2018 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links
  • It sounds like Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will get second interviews with the Cardinals and Colts and he may also get a second go ’round with the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.It’s worth noting that Giants chairman Steve Tisch sat in on Wilks’ interview, which may be a sign that the team is serious about hiring him. As shown on PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, Wilks may also be in the mix for the Lions’ vacancy.
  • Former Colts running backs coach Jemal Singleton is taking a job as the Raiders’ running backs coach under Jon Gruden, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). Under Singleton’s tutelage, ageless wonder Frank Gore ran for 961 yards and three TDs last year plus 29 catches for 245 yards and one receiving score.

Seahawks Interested In Brian Schottenheimer

January 11th, 2018 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks will look to speak with Colts quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer about their offensive coordinator vacancy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brian Schottenheimer (vertical)

[RELATED: PFR’s 2018 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker]

Schottenheimer previously served as the OC of the Rams and Jets. In 2016, he become the Colts’ QBs coach and guided Andrew Luck to one of his best career seasons. Despite dealing with multiple injuries in that season, Luck finished out with a career-high 63.5% completion percentage 7.8 yards per throw.

If hired by the Seahawks, Schottenheimer will be tasked with getting better production out of the team’s Swiss cheese offensive line finding a way to re-ignite the running game. Last year, the Seahawks placed 15th in total offense but were just 23rd in total rushing yards.

Colts Interviewed Baylor’s Matt Rhule For Head Coach

January 10th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts interviewed Baylor head coach Matt Rhule for their head coaching vacancy earlier this week, sources tell Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com.

[RELATED: 2018 Head Coaching Search Tracker]Matt Rhule (Featured)

If Indianapolis did ultimately hire Rhule, he’d certainly be an outside-the-box candidate, as his only coaching experience at the NFL level came in 2012 when he served as the Giants’ offensive line coach. Rhule does have vast amounts of collegiate experience, as he’s been working in the NCAA since 1998. Rhule was head coach at Tempe for four seasons before taking over Baylor, where posted a disappointing 1-11 record in 2017.

Thus far, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has interviewed five candidates to replace Chuck Pagano, although one of those contenders — Matt Nagy — has already taken a job with the Bears. Here’s where things stand in Indy:

Colts Never Offered Job To Nagy

January 10th, 2018 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links
  • The Colts never offered their head coaching job to Matt Nagy, Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. This week, the former Chiefs OC accepted the Bears’ HC position. There were some rumblings that he also had an offer on the table from Indy, but that is apparently not the case.
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