3 Ups, 3 Downs from Jeff Saturday's Final Presser
On Monday Indianapolis Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday addressed the media on the season and how it impacted him, the coaching staff, and the players. In a short 15-minute presser, Saturday gave us all an expansive amount of wording and quotes to digest.
However, it’s far easier to evaluate the pros and cons of the press conference, with each side having three. Let’s get it over with, by beginning with the cons.
Con #1: The Excuses for Mediocrity
When asked, “What kind of things do you think you were able to show in this eight-game audition?” Saturday replied to begin with: “As far as an eight-game audition, again – like when you say eight-game, eight-game audition with half an offensive staff, boundaries when you come in. So I mean, yeah it’s an eight-game audition with the hand you’re dealt.”
Saturday had a golden opportunity to take the brunt of the blame, as most coaches do, for the struggles. Instead, he made excuses for the environment he was hired into.
Con #2: Intimating that other Interim Coaches had it Better
The last question for Saturday was: “Did you see this situation as different from other situations with interim coaches such as Carolina?” Saturday replied with: “Great question and Steve (Wilks), I commend the heck out of what he did. I also know (Ben) McAdoo, who’s their offensive coordinator and (James) Campen, who’s their offensive line coach, worked together in Green Bay for a number of years."
"So, I would tend to believe a guy coming in after nine weeks walking into a room a short offensive staff and a guy who’s walking in and been together for however long they’ve been together before and after, should have a different level of success.”
This quote was long but worth laying out. Everyone knew Saturday’s predicament of walking into a storm that was the post-Frank Reich era. Pointing out that another interim coach was better because of his staff doesn’t excuse a 1-7 record in any capacity.
Con #3: All or Nothing
Near the mid-point of the conference, a question was posed regarding where else Saturday may fit. The question was: “If the head coaching position doesn’t work out, would you be open to a position role or a front office role?”
Saturday replied quickly and concisely: “Man, I haven’t even thought anything about that. Not even a little bit. I’m hoping to get it and hoping to prepare. All that first.”
This one may be a stretch, but Saturday was a consultant for the team before. The fact nothing was mentioned of the offensive line, strength coach, front office role, etc., was a bit sour. Especially coming from a man who was taking the position of someone fired mid-season over a phone call.
Now that we’ve thrown the bad out of the way early, let’s highlight what good came from the Saturday presser.
Pro #1: Appreciation for the Organization and the Fans
Saturday opened the presser by saying: “First, I just wanted to say it’s been a true honor to be able to represent this team these past eight games. I’ve really, really appreciated all the staff, the organization as a whole. In the team meeting today, I brought everybody in and made sure they all understood how much I appreciated the effort, and a very difficult circumstance, how many of them worked to make the best of a very tough situation. I’m grateful for that."
"Also, a big shout out to our fans. I don’t get a time usually to talk about these fans, but yesterday the place was crowded, it was loud. I was grateful for them just being there.”
It’s easy to see the adoration for Saturday. Despite the cons, he is truly appreciative of the Colts organization and the fans that cheered him on during his playing days.
Pro #2: The Support of his Players
Saturday was dealt with a question regarding the locker room. “There was a lot of praise and support for you in the locker room. Despite the losses, how much joy did you have coaching this team?” The passion flowed from Saturday. He stated: “I said this today, relationships matter. I think it gets lost in this world, but relationships in this game are really what it’s all about.”
Later he followed with: “It matters and I told them how appreciative I was of building relationships with these guys. It’s kind of one of those things when you’re in tough times, those relationships seem to build much faster. I’ve gotten to know a lot of these guys much better than I thought I would and I’ve loved it.”
This shows Saturday’s influence on the players, even in a short eight-game span. Trust is slow, but from Saturday’s words, it seems he may have earned it far more quickly.
Pro #3: Confidence to Regain Success
Another mid-point question, Saturday was asked: “A lot of coaches are going to go into an interview and show their qualifications. Yours is a little bit different and how you landed here. What are you going to say as to why you should keep this permanently?”
Saturday replied: “Listen, I have a very clear vision of how I can turn this football team around. I have a plan of attack, that I understand this is what I believe has to happen for us to turn a corner. I’m not one that wavers. I’m not one that gets disjointed very quickly.” This simply shows the confidence Saturday has that a struggling Colts team could need in the face of a rebuild and a new signal-caller.
There may be pros and cons to this particular presser, but one thing is for sure, Saturday believes he should be the coach and that he can be the man to look back and say “I turned that team around.”
Will this be the case? We will see as the coaching interviews proceed.
