12 Potential Colts Head Coaching Options to Watch

The Indianapolis Colts will likely need a new head coach for the 2023 season. Here is a master list of 12 coaches that the team could consider for the job.

The 2022 NFL season hasn't gone exactly how we all expected for the Indianapolis Colts. After coming into the year with playoff aspirations, the team currently sits at 4-8-1 at the Week 14 bye week.

Former head coach Frank Reich was fired back in Week 9 and his replacement, former All-Pro center Jeff Saturday, has hardly looked like the future at the job.

With all of this turmoil surrounding the team, the Colts would be wise to reset a majority of their coaching staff this offseason. Luckily, there seems to be quite a few popular candidates to keep an eye on this cycle. So, before the offseason officially kicks off, here is a big list of 12 candidates that the team could look into for their next head coach.

NOTE: Two exclusions to this list are Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Steichen is working under Nick Sirianni, a coach that made his feelings about the Reich firing very clear a few weeks back (Steichen also worked with Reich with the Chargers). Payton, by most reports, is waiting for one of the LA jobs to open this offseason.

Offensive Coordinator Candidates

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions

In a year where overall offense is at an all-time low, the Detroit Lions have managed to be one of the highest-scoring teams in the league (with Jared Goff at quarterback!). The Lions are seventh in total yards per game, eighth in passing yards per game, 10th in rushing yards per game, and sixth in points per game.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has done a phenomenal job of getting the most out of his players on that side of the ball. He may be a bit on the younger side — only 36 years old — but he has shown some great things in 2022.

For more info on Johnson, check out this article by Pride of Detroit.

Kellen Moore, Dallas Cowboys

Another option on the younger side, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has been a hot name in coaching circles for a few seasons. While the Cowboys have been a slightly above-average offense this season, it is important to keep in mind that their starting quarterback (Dak Prescott) did miss six games with an injury.

Since getting Prescott back in the starting lineup, the Cowboys offense is averaging 37.2 points per game and 411 total yards per game. Even when the Cowboys were rolling with journeyman QB Cooper Rush as the starter, the offense was passable enough to be able to keep the team in the win column.

For more on Moore and his head coaching future, check out this article by SI.com. 

Mike Kafka, New York Giants

One of the more impressive coaching jobs this season has been the turnaround happening in New York. Despite being projected to be one of the worst teams in the league in 2022, the Giants find themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt with five weeks remaining. A large part of that has been the work of Mike Kafka as the offensive coordinator.

Coming over from the Kansas City Chiefs, Kafka has brought some life to a putrid Giants' offense. The Giants were the second-worst overall offense in essentially every category in 2021, and they have improved to around league average this season. Kafka has also helped turn around the career of former high draft pick Daniel Jones, a player that isn't looking like a bust so far this season.

For more reading on Kafka, check out this piece by Tampa Bay Times.

Shane Waldron, Seattle Seahawks

One of the other major surprise teams in the NFL this season has been the Seattle Seahawks. The team appeared to be in rebuilding mode after trading away future Hall-of-Fame QB Russell Wilson, but that was far from the case. The team seamlessly transitioned to Geno Smith, and they find themselves on the cusp of the playoffs in 2022.

While a lot of Smith's success should be attributed to the player, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has had a major hand in his development. Waldron has been a popular name in NFL circles for years, making his mark with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay before heading out to Seattle in 2021.

For more on Waldron as a coach, check out this piece by Field Gulls.

Ken Dorsey, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills had quite the task in front of them this past offseason, as they needed to replace former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll with a coach that could help quarterback Josh Allen maintain his ascension. The team turned to QB Coach Ken Dorsey, and the Bills' offense has mostly remained the same well-oiled machine in 2022.

There have been some struggles in this transition for the team, as Allen has dealt with some injury issues this season, but it is easy to see the talent in Dorsey as a play-caller. He may opt to stick with the Bills for another season, but he is a super interesting candidate to look at this offseason.

For more reading on Dorsey as a coach, check out this piece by 916 The Breeze.

Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins

One of the more respected, and versatile, coaches across the league is Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. After spending time recently with the Las Vegas Raiders (2018-20) and the Los Angeles Chargers (2021), Smith took on the OC role with the Dolphins under Mike McDaniel. While McDaniel deserves a majority of the credit for that offensive success, Smith has been a vital part of the process.

Smith is a rare candidate that has spent time across the offensive side of the ball in his career. He called plays in college for Butler back in 2007 and he has spent time in the NFL with titles as offensive line coach, tight ends coach, and run game coordinator. If a team wants to pluck a coach from the newly starting Mike McDaniel Tree, Smith would be a great start.

For more on Frank Smith as a coach, check out this piece by Dolphin Nation.

Defensive Coordinator Candidates

DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers

The top defensive coaching candidate this cycle is, without question, San Francisco 49ers coach DeMeco Ryans. A former middle linebacker for the Houston Texans, Ryans has transitioned seamlessly into coaching. After spending years learning under Robert Saleh, he finally took over the defense in 2021 when Saleh left to coach the New York Jets.

Upon taking over with the 49ers, Ryans has coached an already talented defense to new levels. The team currently allows the fewest passing yards on a per-game basis in the league and is allowing just 15.8 points per game. Ryans is a players' coach that also knows how to draw up a top overall defense. He is not only the top defensive coaching candidate during this cycle, he may be the best one overall.

For more on Ryans as a coach this season, check out this piece by the Touchdown Wire.

Ejiro Evero, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have been an abject disaster this season, but defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been phenomenal for the team. After losing an elite defensive coach in Vic Fangio this past offseason, one would expect the Broncos' defense to take a step back under a new play-caller. Instead, they actually improved across the board, ranking second in fewest passing yards allowed and holding teams to just 17.0 points per game.

In a way, Evero had one of the more impressive coaching backgrounds in the league before becoming the Broncos' DC. He learned under Fangio with the 49ers, under Dom Capers with the Green Bay Packers, and under Brandon Staley with the Rams. His scheme for the Broncos shows all these different blends in one outstanding unit.

For more reading on Evero, check out this piece by Andscape.

Leslie Frazier, Buffalo Bills

Retread head coaching candidates are hardly ever fun, but Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has certainly earned another shot. The Bills' defense has consistently ranked among the league's best during his tenure, and he has shown the ability to get creative with his scheme. The last two years alone his unit has been in the top three in total defense.

Frazier is no stranger to the head coaching world, as he was the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2010 to 2013. He had a less-than-stellar tenure with the team, finishing with a 21-33-1 record and one playoff appearance in his 3.5 years as the coach. While this is a cause for some concern, he does appear to have grown and changed in the decade since his last HC stint.

For more on Frazier as a coach, check out this piece by Bleacher Report.

Coaches Currently Outside the NFL

© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jim Harbaugh, HC Michigan Wolverines

There has been speculation for years that Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh could be making a triumphant return to the NFL. Harbaugh was one of the league's best coaches years ago, leading the 49ers to a 49-22-1 record in four years with the team. He also led the 49ers to the Super Bowl back in 2012 (where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens).

Harbaugh has been pretty adamant about returning to Michigan in 2023, but you never know when it comes to the NFL. He would likely need a situation where he had control over the roster and front office side of things, alongside his normal head coaching duties. Maybe a return to his former NFL team could give him that opportunity?

For more on Harbaugh's coaching resume and latest rumors, check out this piece by The Athletic.

Jim Caldwell, Former HC Detroit Lions

Speaking of former Colts returning to the team, what about Jim Caldwell? Caldwell may not be a flashy hire, but he could be a coach that could fix the turmoil that we have seen in Indy this season. In his six years as a head coach, with the Colts and the Lions, Caldwell led his teams to a 62-50 record with one Super Bowl appearance (when the Colts lost to the Saints).

Caldwell's tenure in Indy ended on a sour note, as Peyton Manning was ruled out for the 2011 season with a neck injury, and he got stuck with a team that had no chance at winning games. Upon going to the Lions, Caldwell was able to lead that franchise to an overall winning record and two playoff appearances. For comparison's sake, the Lions have had just one playoff appearance since 2000 in years that Caldwell wasn't their head coach.

For more on Caldwell as a coaching candidate, check out this piece by Jacksonville.com.

Darkhorse Candidate

Duce Staley, Detroit Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach

Colts fans have been clamoring for the next coach to be a motivator that is full of energy. The best candidate for that style of coaching league-wide may be Duce Staley with the Lions. Staley spent nearly a decade as a fixture of the Eagles' coaching staff before jumping over to coach running backs under Dan Campbell in Detroit.

With Detroit, Staley has helped craft one of the league's most impressive rushing attacks. The Lions have averaged 127 rushing yards per game this season, and they have been doing that without added production from a rushing quarterback (and their starting running back has been hurt for most of the season). Staley may not be ready to take the jump as a head coach, but he is a name to watch for this upcoming cycle.

For more on Duce Staley with the Lions, check out this piece by CBS.

Need your fill on daily Colts' content? Head over to the Locked On Colts' YouTube channel where Jake Arthur and myself hit on all the major topics surrounding this team. Hit that subscribe button while you are there!

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.