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Latest On Colts’ HC Search

February 2nd, 2023 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

While this year’s coaching search has been labeled a long-running endeavor, five of last year’s hires happened during February’s first week. But the Colts’ search has begun to stand out.

Just about every name connected to Indianapolis’ quest to replace Frank Reich has been mentioned as a potential finalist or interviewed a second time. Eight second interviews are believed to have taken place or soon will, with other candidates mentioned as prospective finalists. There may be another round of meetings coming.

[RELATED: Jim Irsay Still Eyeing Jeff Saturday For HC?]

The Colts are nearly through with their second interviews, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes the team is considering a third round. A rarely seen round three would include a few candidates, through Garafolo adds the team is already being quite thorough during its second run of meetings. Some of the Colts’ second interviews have run as long as 12 hours (Twitter links). As of Thursday morning, the team had conducted 21 total interviews, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets.

Indy’s expansive search can partially be explained by Irsay not sitting in on the first round of interviews — all conducted virtually — but a team that employed an interim HC for half of this past season obviously had a head-start on this process. The Colts also have not needed to navigate any Sean Payton dominoes, as they were the one team that did not meet with the new Broncos HC over the past two-plus weeks. The team did, however, see DeMeco Ryans cancel an interview. Ryans nixed Cardinals and Colts meetings, leading to his agreement with the Texans.

Considering how Indianapolis’ 2018 search unfolded — Josh McDaniels backing out of an agreement just after Super Bowl LII — Irsay and GM Chris Ballard operating this way makes sense. Reich, who emerged once the team regrouped from the McDaniels debacle, was not hired until a week after that Super Bowl. The Colts also just completed one of the worst years in franchise history, with Irsay’s impulsiveness playing a role in it. The wide net the franchise has cast will need to produce a coach who will work with a long-term quarterback — after years of stopgap measures — and lead a roster still housing several Pro Bowlers.

Of the names still in the Colts’ mix, a few are also on the Cardinals’ list. Brian Callahan, Ejiro Evero, Aaron Glenn and Mike Kafka have met with both teams. Kafka, however, is one of the few coaches to not interview with Indy’s contingent a second time or be mentioned as a finalist. Kafka’s Giants coworker — DC Don Martindale — is believed to have impressed during his second interview, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets. The Colts plan to interview Eagles OC Shane Steichen on Friday or Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The team cannot interview Steichen again until after Super Bowl LVII.

The Colts dragging this process out much longer does run the risk of the team missing out on some of its preferred assistant hires, but at this point, determining the right leader has eclipsed everything else for the suddenly downtrodden AFC South team. Here is how Indy’s complex search stands midday Thursday:

Aaron Glenn Gets Second HC Interview With Colts; Cardinals Seeking Another Meeting

February 1st, 2023 at 6:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Aaron Glenn is getting a second look in Indy. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (via Twitter), the Colts will conduct a second interview with the Lions defensive coordinator regarding their head coaching vacancy. The second interview is expected to take place tomorrow.

[RELATED: Colts To Conduct Second HC Interview With Brian Callahan]

Glenn is also considered a finalist for the Cardinals head coaching job, and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets the NFC West team would like to talk more with him ahead of its decision. While the Cards’ HC search has not received as much attention as the Colts’ expansive process, the they added some new candidates to the mix Monday. Glenn was part of the original process and went through his first interview Jan. 21.

The 50-year-old helped boost his stock following a strong second half of the season in Detroit. During the Lions’ 8-2 finish, the defense yielded 20.2 points per game, the 11th-best mark in the league. Glenn also earned praise for his development of defensive players like Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Jeff Okudah, and Kerby Joseph, putting the coach firmly on the HC radar.

Among all the teams with head coaching vacancies, the Colts have cast the widest net, interviewing 13 candidates for the position. We’ve heard recently that the organization had moved on to the second phase of their search. The team conducted a second interview with Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan today after having previously conducted second interviews with interim HC Jeff Saturday, Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale, Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, and Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone have also been mentioned as finalists. Considering all the names that are still in the running, Nate Akins of the Indy Star is a bit skeptical that these are indeed “finalists” and hints that the organization could require another round of interviews after this (Twitter link).

Colts To Conduct Second HC Interview With Brian Callahan

January 30th, 2023 at 4:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan had drawn the interest of only one team needing a new head coach until earlier today. Now, though, he is set to be a finalist with the first squad to reach out to him.

The Colts are reaching out to Callahan to conduct a second interview with him, reports Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). He adds that the sit-down could take place as soon as this Wednesday. In that event, it would precede his (first) interview with the Cardinals by one day.

Callahan, like Cincinnati DC Lou Anarumo, has put himself on the HC radar with his unit’s performances in recent years in particular. Part of head coach Zac Taylor‘s first Bengals staff in 2019, Callahan joined the AFC North squad following stints as the quarterbacks coach of the Lions and Raiders.

His first career OC gig began with underwhelming numbers, to say the least. The Bengals ranked 30th, then 29th in scoring in 2019 and 2020, as the team struggled during the opening campaigns of the Taylor era. Things started to change dramatically last year, however, as quarterback Joe Burrow began to turn into the MVP-caliber player he has since become. The Bengals ranked seventh in the league in points for each of the past two seasons, which has seen the franchise play in consecutive AFC title games and make one Super Bowl appearance.

Much of Cincinnati’s success has come through the air, with the team ranking top-10 in passing yards over that span but outside the top 20 in the NFL on the ground. That comes as little surprise, given the formidable presence of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as wideouts. Callahan’s tenure has also seen strong play at the running back position, though, with Joe Mixon enjoying a career year in 2021.

Callahan interviewed for the first time with the Colts earlier this month as part of their lengthy search for their full-time bench boss. Controversial interim hire Jeff Saturday remains in the running despite the nature in which his brief tenure unfolded. Callahan represents one several other staffers being seriously considered alongside him, however.

Here is an updated look at the Colts’ search:

Latest On Panthers’ DC Search

January 30th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Today marks the first official day at work for new Panthers head coach Frank Reich, the first domino to fall in the 2023 HC cycle. Much remains to be seen with respect to his staff, including coordinators on both sides of the ball.

On defense, it became clear that Reich’s preference for his new DC was Vic Fangio. The 64-year-old agreed to terms yesterday on a deal with the Dolphins which will see him become the league’s highest-paid coordinator, however, leaving Carolina to look elsewhere to fill the position. A pair of finalists remain in the running.

Those two are Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Those two are the only candidates other than Fangio to have interviewed for the position, so it comes as little surprise that they remain in the running. Joe Person of The Athletic notes that Carolina has “moved on” to Richard and Manuel as it pertains to the DC opening, with the latter seeming to be in the lead (subscription required).

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports also reports (via Twitter) that Manuel remains the subject of considerable interest from Carolina. The 43-year-old has two years of DC experience, dating back to his time with the Falcons in 2017 and 2018. That post came between tenures in Seattle and Philadelphia prior to his current one in New York. Neither he nor Richard, who has multiple stints as a defensive coordinator on his resume, have experience working with Reich, though they have ties to general manager Scott Fitterer dating back to their shared time with the Seahawks.

Anderson adds that the Panthers could have competition in the form of the Texans for Manuel’s services. Houston is thought to be a potential destination for him in the (expected) event that 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans is hired as the team’s new head coach. Especially if that were to happen, attention could shift once more towards a staffer who does have experience working alongside Reich.

Person names Colts DC Gus Bradley as someone who has been “mentioned” as a candidate to follow Reich to Carolina. As he notes, however, an interview request as not yet been submitted. Anderson tweets that Reich brought up the possibility of hiring the 56-year-old, something ownership was not in favor of. It was then that Fangio was pursued, to the point where the Panthers were willing to give him the league’s largest coordinator contract (Twitter link).

With Reich expected to call plays on offense, the team’s ultimate choice at the DC spot will go a long way in determining their success on that side of the ball. Steve Wilks, who guided Carolina to an impressive run at the end of the season filling in for Matt Rhule, remains on staff for now, but he is likely to head elsewhere with new faces coming in on the Panthers’ sidelines.

Colts Schedule Second HC Interviews With Shane Steichen, Rich Bisaccia

January 29th, 2023 at 10:29am CST by Rory Parks

The Colts have added two more names to their list of HC finalists. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Indianapolis will conduct a second interview with Eagles OC Shane Steichen this week, while Tom Pelissero of NFL.com says that Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will get a second look as well.

Steichen, who also secured HC interviews with the Panthers and Texans in this year’s cycle, has quickly turned into a hot commodity on the head coaching market. The 37-year-old was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2020 — which happened to be Justin Herbert‘s impressive rookie year — and he joined Philadelphia in the same capacity in 2021. Eagles HC Nick Sirianni handed Steichen the play-calling reins midway through the 2021 season, and the Eagles’ pivot to a run-heavy offense drove them to last year’s playoff bracket. Jalen Hurts’ progression as a passer this year helped the team secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a spot in today’s NFC Championship Game.

Bisaccia, 62, is one of the league’s most-respected third phase coaches. Of course, he took over as the Raiders’ interim HC in the wake of Jon Gruden‘s resignation in 2021, and he led Las Vegas to a 7-5 record down the stretch, which was enough to secure a playoff berth. That level of success earned him an interview to retain the position on a full-time basis, but the organization pivoted to Josh McDaniels instead. Bisaccia also took an HC interview with the Jaguars last offseason before accepting a job as Green Bay’s special teams coordinator.

Steichen and Bisaccia join a large group of candidates to advance from the Colts’ first round of virtual interviews — which did not include owner Jim Irsay — to a second round of meetings for which Irsay will be present. That group includes interim HC Jeff Saturday, Broncos DC Ejiro Evero, Rams DC Raheem Morris, and Giants DC Wink Martindale. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and Indy’s own ST coordinator, Bubba Ventrone, also remain in the mix.

The shadow of Saturday continues to loom over these proceedings. Despite both internal and external backlash, Irsay is said to be “pushing” to remove the interim tag from Saturday’s title and keep the Colts’ former center aboard as the team’s permanent head coach. Here’s the full list of Indianapolis’ HC candidates:

Commanders, Ravens Interested In Eric Bieniemy For OC

January 29th, 2023 at 7:47am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 29: Like the Titans, the Commanders and Ravens have formally requested OC interviews with Bieniemy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links). John Keim of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Washington will continue to be patient and will wait until it is allowed to interview Bieniemy and 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn, whose teams are playing in the championship games for their respective conferences today.

JANUARY 26: A key talking point each January, Eric Bieniemy‘s head coaching candidacy has tapered off in recent years. Despite Matt Nagy and Doug Pederson landing HC jobs from Andy Reid‘s Chiefs staff, Bieniemy has been stuck at the coordinator level. Only one team — the Colts — has interviewed him for its HC post this year.

Others remain interested in the five-year Chiefs OC. The Commanders and Ravens are the latest rumored to want an OC meeting with Bieniemy, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets. The Indianapolis HC path remains in play for Bieniemy, but similar avenues have repeatedly closed for the longtime Reid lieutenant over the past several years.

The Commanders and Ravens jobs are not classified as lateral moves, since each position would come with full play-calling responsibilities. Thus, the Chiefs cannot block Bieniemy from an interview. Reid has been Kansas City’s primary play-caller throughout his 10-year Missouri stay, and the top-tier HC receives the bulk of the credit for Patrick Mahomes submitting arguably the greatest early-career resume in quarterback history. Bieniemy has been Kansas City’s OC throughout Mahomes’ run as the team’s starter, but after extensive interest emerged early during his time in this job, the league has cooled on him.

Bieniemy, 53, signed an extension with the Chiefs last year and has not been closely connected to other OC jobs prior to this month. It would be bring somewhat of a risk to leave the Reid-Mahomes infrastructure the Chiefs provide, but Bieniemy having success as a play-caller could also finally break down the door to a top job. Ex-Chiefs QBs coach Mike Kafka is now on the HC radar, after becoming the Giants’ play-caller. Mahomes is ticketed to win a second MVP award and has powered the Chiefs to a fifth straight AFC championship game, doing so this time without Tyreek Hill.

Washington has seen multiple options — Jim Caldwell and Darrell Bevell — turn down the chance to interview. Ron Rivera‘s hot-seat status also complicates this season, since the OC role has a greater chance of being a one-and-done here than it does in most places. Many around the league expect, for this reason, the Commanders to promote quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese to replace Scott Turner, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Baltimore has also begun its interviews to replace Greg Roman. While Bieniemy, Frank Reich and Byron Leftwich have been linked to the position, none has been confirmed as an interviewee just yet.

AFC South Rumors: Tunsil, Colts, Jaguars

January 28th, 2023 at 6:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil has truly found a home in Houston. After being traded to the Texans from Miami in 2019, Tunsil has made the Pro Bowl in every season except for last year, when he missed 12 games after undergoing season-ending thumb surgery. After another stellar season this year, Tunsil has his eyes on finishing his career in Houston, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, an expensive ask for the last place team of the AFC South.

Tunsil will head into a contract year next season and has intensions of resetting the market for NFL tackles. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams currently leads the position in average annual value with a deal worth $23.01MM per year. Tunsil isn’t hurting for money. His most recent deal had an AAV of $22MM. If the Texans intend to keep Tunsil in Houston long-term, they will likely need to reset the market for the position. A new deal for Tunsil could fetch an amount in the neighborhood of $24-25MM per year.

Tunsil is certainly worth it. He has consistently been one of the league’s top blindside blockers since coming to the Texans, saving his best season for just before negotiations for an extension. Tunsil ranked as the 10th best offensive tackle in the league this year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), boasting the best pass block grade of any tackle. That grade was certainly reflected in his production as he only allowed three quarterback hits and 17 pressures on the season.

Tunsil is working towards an All-Pro honor and a record-setting deal this offseason, and he’s put in a strong body of work towards both goals.

Here are a few other rumors from the AFC South, starting with a pair of free agents from the Hoosier State:

  • Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell put himself in a good position heading into free agency this year with his best season to date. After missing 34 games in his first three seasons, the former second-round pick finally got to play a full, healthy season in Indianapolis. He stepped up when the Colts needed receivers behind No. 1 wideout Michael Pittman, finishing second on the team with 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns. While his injury history may cause the Colts to hesitate on a long-term deal, Campbell showed that he has a role in the offense and provided a strong audition for any suitors this offseason. Campbell told Mike Chappell of FOX59 in Indianapolis that he would “absolutely” embrace a second contract with the Colts.
  • Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke also had a strong contract year, finishing second on the team with a career-high 151 total tackles and six tackles for loss. This is the second strong season in a row for the 26-year-old who had 132 total tackles last year and tacked on two of his three career interceptions for good measure. Ranking as the league’s 21st best linebacker, according to PFF, Okereke had his best season since he graded out as the 9th best linebacker playing limited snaps in his rookie season. The changes in the Colts’ coaching staff may provide a hurdle for Okereke’s return, but if he isn’t able to come to an agreement with the team that drafted him, Okereke’s final season with the horseshoe on his helmet should set him up for a decent paycheck with a new team. Okereke spoke with Chappell about the possibility of exploring free agency, pointing out that his former defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, has since departed for a windier city.
  • A bright spot in the Jaguars‘ season this year was the performance of key additions to the wide receivers room. After shelling out what many thought was too much money for receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, both players had career years that contributed to the team’s overall success. A key reason for those strong performances was wide receivers coach Chris Jackson who, according to Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL radio station, informed head coach Doug Pederson that he will be accepting the wide receivers coaching position at the University of Texas. Jacksonville will be on the lookout for a new position coach to lead a group next year that may lose veteran Marvin Jones to free agency but should add former Falcon Calvin Ridley following one year of his indefinite suspension.

Colts Planning Second Don Martindale HC Interview

January 27th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Add Don Martindale to the growing list of candidates to advance to the second round of the Colts’ head coaching search. The Colts are scheduling a second Martindale interview for this weekend, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Colts are the only team to reach out to the Giants’ defensive coordinator during this year’s hiring cycle, which continues a pattern for Martindale. Despite his success in Baltimore and now New York, Martindale has not been especially popular on the HC interview circuit. But he improved his stock a bit during his first season with the Giants.

[RELATED: Jim Irsay Still Pushing For Jeff Saturday As HC]

Despite significant issues at multiple positions coming into the season, the Giants managed to field a competent defense. The team finished 17th in points allowed, and while DVOA was less kind to Martindale’s unit (29th), the rebuilding team-turned-playoff entrant did enough to turn back a Lamar Jackson-led Ravens team, continue the Packers’ midseason swoon and deny the Vikings on back-to-back fourth-quarter drives in the wild-card round.

The Ravens did not renew Martindale’s contract after the 2021 season, his fourth as the franchise’s DC, but the Giants showed considerable interest. To prevent Martindale from exploring other DC opportunities after their interview, the Giants offered him a three-year contract. That did the trick, and Martindale joined OC Mike Kafka in being critical to Brian Daboll‘s first-year success in New York. The Giants have now seen Martindale, Kafka and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney receive interview requests. Kafka interviewed with the Texans for a second time, but Houston looks to prefer DeMeco Ryans. The Colts also met with Kafka, but he has not yet been summoned for a second interview.

A Dan Quinn–type scenario here exists, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, who notes (via Twitter) the Giants could bump Martindale’s pay to convince him to stay rather than joining the Colts. Martindale, however, will turn 60 in a few months. After six years as an NFL defensive coordinator, he is running out of time to move up in the league.

As for the Colts, they have a host of candidates still in the mix for their top job. After virtual interviews, the Colts are meeting in-person with candidates the second time around. Irsay did not participate in the virtual interviews; the owner is meeting with the candidates who advance to the second round. Here are the coaches on Indianapolis’ second-interview radar:

Dan Quinn To Stay With Cowboys, Withdraw From HC Searches

January 26th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

After receiving extensive interest from head coach-needy teams for a second straight year, Dan Quinn is once again planning to stick with the Cowboys.

The veteran defensive coordinator informed teams that have considered him for their HC job he will remain in Dallas, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This will be a big gain for the Cowboys, considering Quinn’s performance through two seasons, and it stands to affect the Broncos, Cardinals and Colts’ HC searches.

Quinn, 52, was once again among those in the mix for the Broncos’ HC job, but after a second straight year in a Denver search, the former George Paton coworker bowed out. The Cardinals and Colts may have been more interested. Arizona brought Quinn in for a second interview this week, and Quinn agreed to a second Indianapolis meeting Wednesday night. That summit was set for Saturday, but it is now off.

“This is big for us. It gives us continuity. Frankly, on a personal note, I can’t tell you how thankful I am,” Mike McCarthy said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) of Quinn’s return. “Clearly, Dan is in the position to be selective, and I’m extremely excited about the decision.”

The former Falcons HC remains under contract with the Cowboys, via the multiyear extension he signed in January 2022. Quinn interviewed with five teams during the ’22 hiring period, advancing to the finals of Denver search that produced Nathaniel Hackett. The Broncos may or may not have rushed that process, due to Hackett agreeing to a second Jaguars interview. After the Hackett hire, Quinn recommitted to the Cowboys.

Quinn remaining in Dallas led to the team taking another step defensively, ranking second in DVOA. The team’s defensive muscle showed in its divisional-round matchup with the 49ers, though DeMeco Ryans‘ unit prevailed in a low-scoring matchup. Still, Quinn’s unit — after intending to retain Randy Gregory and then losing him at the 11th hour — built on its 2021 season. Working more as an edge defender, Micah Parsons maintained the dominance he showed as a rookie. Dallas’ rebuilt D-line led the way in the team’s 54-sack season — 13 more than the 2021 unit registered — and has led the league in takeaways for the past two seasons. After the Cowboys set a franchise record for points allowed during the 2020 season, Quinn’s arrival has made a considerable difference on their 24-10 record since.

This decision could point Ryans toward securing the Denver job. A Thursday report indicated the San Francisco DC had become a frontrunner for it, seemingly blunting the early momentum Quinn had as a potential Sean Payton backup plan. With the prospects for a Broncos-Payton partnership fading, Ryans is in line to capitalize. The Colts are planning to have roughly seven candidates go through second interviews. That is on the high side, but Indianapolis has led the way in terms of interview volume. Jeff Saturday remains in that mix, though a few others have met or will meet with Jim Irsay and Co. Brian Flores‘ name has come up most often in connection with the Arizona job, but Payton is at the Cardinals’ facility Thursday afternoon.

Going into his third season as Dallas’ DC, Quinn will need to hire multiple new staffers. The team moved on from senior defensive assistant George Edwards and longtime assistant D-line coach Leon Lett.

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