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    Indianapolis Colts Offseason Priorities: Quarterback, Head Coach at Top of List

    Follow the Colts' Head Coaching Search

    Follow along here to keep you up to date on the latest Indianapolis Colts head coaching search news and rumors.
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    Indianapolis Colts
    Indianapolis Colts

    The Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of a search to find their next head coach.

    Frank Reich was fired at midseason and replaced by former Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday in the interim. The latter is still a candidate for the job officially but we've learned about several other exciting possibilities in the days following the team's season finale.

    Follow along here at Horseshoe Huddle as we bring you the latest on the Colts' head coaching search.

    The following have been reported to either have been requested by the Colts for an interview, or they will be interviewing.

    REPORTED/CONFIRMED INTEREST

    Jeff Saturday, Colts Interim Head Coach

    Jeff Saturday vs Chargers Jenna Watson-IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK

    It's not been a strong audition for Saturday, whose team had a historically poor stretch under his watch, going 1-7 with a point differential of -80. Colts owner Jim Irsay loves Saturday's football acumen and leadership qualities, which by all accounts have been shown, but it takes some experience to be an NFL head coach.

    The Colts announced that they interviewed Saturday on Thursday.

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    Bubba Ventrone, Colts Special Teams Coordinator

    Indianapolis Colts Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone talks on the sideline Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

    Ventrone has been the Colts' special teams coordinator for five seasons and has routinely boasted one of the league's top units. Like Saturday, he's a former player with excellent leadership qualities, who holds players accountable but also relates to them. He's highly respected inside the organization and was the popular choice to be made interim head coach before Saturday was announced.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Wednesday.

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    Shane Steichen, Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator

    Aug 19, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen in a game against the New England Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

    Alongside former Colts offensive coordinator and current Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, Steichen has Philly's offense running at a high clip. Behind an excellent offensive line, quarterback Jalen Hurts is an MVP candidate. Meanwhile, skill position players Miles Sanders, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith all had career years. Steichen has shown the ability to run an offense with a dual-threat quarterback and keep all the mouths fed. The Eagles' offense ranked No. 3 in both offense (389.1 YPG) and scoring (28.1 PPG). The interview request was reported by NFL Network.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Saturday.

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    Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator

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    UPDATE: Per Tom Pelissero, Johnson informed interested teams that he is staying with the Lions.

    Like Steichen, Johnson's offense ranks near the top of the league. Detroit finished fourth in offense (380.0 YPG) and fifth in scoring (26.6 PPG). You could argue no one squeezed more out of his offense than Johnson, who had quarterback Jared Goff looking like a stud again while Jamaal Williams unexpectedly led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (17) and had 1,066 yards to go with it. Watch a Lions game and you'll see plenty of fun play designs. The interview request was reported by ESPN.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Friday.

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    Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator

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    The Lions' defense wasn't as effective as their offense (ranked dead last overall with 392.4 YPG), but Glenn has been revered as a sharp defensive mind for a while now. He was a heady, Pro Bowl player in his time with the New York Jets and has moved up the ranks as a coach over the last nine years. He's also had an interesting background as a scout with the Jets and a general manager in the Lone Star Football League.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Saturday.

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    Raheem Morris, Los Angeles Rams Defensive Coordinator

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    Morris has been there and done that. He was a head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-11 and interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 (record of 21-38 overall). He's been a celebrated position coach and coordinator, helping lead his Rams to a Super Bowl championship last year.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Friday. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, the interview went quite well.

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    Ejiro Evero, Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator

    Dec 23, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

    Evero is a climber who has only one year of experience as a coordinator. Still, the Broncos' defense was great in 2022 despite their counterparts on offense leading to the team's downfall. Denver's defense ranked 7th overall (320.0 YPG) and tied-13th in scoring (21.1 PPG). When the Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett at midseason, Evero was offered the interim role but declined in order to stay defensive coordinator. The interview request was reported by NFL Network.

    The Colts confirmed they conducted this interview on Thursday.

    READ UP:

    Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator

    Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy speaking with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

    Bieniemy has been a hot name in the head coaching cycle for a few years now with the success of the Chiefs offense behind Bieniemy, head coach Andy Reid, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He's yet to land a head-coaching gig but it seems like it's only a matter of time. Since he became KC's coordinator in 2018, the Chiefs' offense has ranked No. 1 in the NFL three times and never worse than No. 6, and they've ranked No. 1 in scoring twice and again, never worse than No. 6. A couple of things that could be holding teams back from hiring Bieniemy to lead their whole team is a perception that he can rub players the wrong way as well as some run-ins that he had with the law primarily in the 1990s. This is common knowledge to NFL franchises that have looked into Bieniemy, so the Colts will/have certainly done their due diligence.

    The Colts announced on Thursday night that they had concluded their interview with Bieniemy.

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    Mike Kafka, New York Giants Offensive Coordinator

    New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on the field during the second day of training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Football Giants Training Camp

    A former player in the league for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kafka played the quarterback position and was the quality control officer and quarterbacks’ coach for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2017-21. Now, in 2022, he has revamped the Giants and helped quarterback Daniel Jones maximize his talents, leading them past the Minnesota Vikings, 31-24, in their wildcard matchup to advance to the divisional round in the playoffs. Kafka will be a high-level hire and would be a nice fit for a rookie Colts quarterback.

    Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the interview request.

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    Wink Martindale, New York Giants Defensive Coordinator

    New York Giants defensive coordinator Don \"Wink\" Martindale on the field for mandatory minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in East Rutherford. News Giants Mandatory Minicamp

    Wink has been coaching since 1986 when he was running Defiance University’s secondary. Fast forward to 2004 and he would have his first NFL gig as the inside linebackers coach for the Las Vegas Raiders (then Oakland). However, it was his time with the Baltimore Ravens that would put him through the stratosphere, coaching the inside linebackers and defense for a total of 10 years. Now, with the Giants, he has given them a gritty and tough type of presentation, which is helping them progress through the postseason. Martindale is old-school, but he also knows the game inside and out and would have plenty of knowledge and wisdom for a Colts team that was completely bled dry of both in 2022.

    Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported the interview request.

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    DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers Defensive Cordinator

    September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans celebrates during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium.

    A former 10-year pro at the NFL level, Ryans is defense personified. Through his 140 games played at linebacker for both the Houston Texans and Eagles, Ryans put together 970 tackles, 46 passes defended, and two Pro-Bowl nominations to accompany the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Shortly after he retired from playing on the gridiron, he joined San Francisco in 2017 as their defensive quality control, then quickly started ascending, as he coached the inside linebackers from 2018-20. One season later, he’d find himself running the defense for Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers are a highly efficient group on the defensive side, which is why he is so sought-after to run a team in the NFL. He would provide an entire team balance for the Colts and would bring a different attitude to the defense.

    ESPN reported the interview request.

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    Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator

    USATSI_17477377

    Quinn has had successful defenses in Seattle, Atlanta, and now Denver. He gets the most out of his players, has good relationships with them, and is good at identifying the best ways to utilize them. However, how reliant will he be on bringing in a strong offensive coordinator? As head coach of the Falcons, the wheels began to fall off when Kyle Shanahan left for the San Francisco 49ers.

    ESPN's Todd Archer reported the interview request.

    READ UP:

    Brian Callahan, Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Coordinator

    Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan observes a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, at the Paycor Stadium practice fields in Cincinnati. Los Angeles Rams At Cincinnati Bengals Joint Practice Aug 24 0068 Syndication The Enquirer

    Behind the efforts of Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins in the last two seasons, Callahan's offense has finished 13th and 8th respectively overall, and 7th in both seasons in scoring. Callahan hasn't officially been the playcaller, but per head coach Zac Taylor, it was a live, collaborative effort. Although he's a quiet name, Callahan appears to bring plenty to the table.

    Tom Pelissero reported the interview request.

    READ UP:

    The following are candidates for whom there have been no reported requests of interviews yet, but there is rumored interest from either the Colts or the coach.

    RUMORED INTEREST

    Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Head Coach

    Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates scoring a two point conversion against Purdue during the second half of the Big Ten Championship game against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.

    UPDATE: It has been announced that Harbaugh is returning to Michigan.

    "Captain Comeback," the Colts' former quarterback and Ring of Honor member is known for rebuilding programs and bringing them back to prominence. Could he do it again with the Colts? So far, there have been no official interview requests announced but several insiders have linked the two sides and said the Colts have interest.

    General manager Chris Ballard was asked on Tuesday about whether a particular person (Harbaugh) was a candidate and who will make the final call on who to hire.

    “I won’t get into who the candidates are," Ballard responded. "I know there are names out there but I’m not going to talk about that. I’ll lead the search. Ultimately, Mr. (Jim) Irsay makes the final call. There’s 32 teams, 32 owners. They own the team. We give him, "Here’s our thoughts," and Mr. Irsay is a good listener. Ultimately, he’ll make the final call but he will lean heavily on our work and what we do to get the coaching candidates in place.”

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

    Follow Jake on Twitter and Facebook @JakeArthurNFL. Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter.
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