Get To Know Colts OL Coach Candidate Roy Istvan
Until Indianapolis Colts finalize staff hiring the rumor mills will be swirling, and the latest one that have Colts fans talking is Roy Istvan potentially becoming the new offensive line coach.
Nate Atkins for the IndyStar reported earlier that Istvan, a Philadelphia Eagles assistant, is a top candidate. Zach Hicks and I discussed Istvan on the Locked On Colts episode from Tuesday, but for those of you that haven’t heard it, I’ll share some of the things we discussed on that show.
Istvan is fairly new to the NFL with only four total years of experience, but he’s no amateur when it comes to overall coaching experience. Istvan has been coaching at the collegiate level for almost 30 years prior to ever coming to the NFL. Istvan got his start with the Southern Connecticut State Owls as a graduate assistant.
At the time the offensive coordinator was Jeff Stoutland, where Istvan became an understudy adopting Stoutland’s principles to how he views the game. After five years Istvan worked his way up to offensive coordinator for the Owls, the same job his mentor had at his arrival. After five seasons as offensive coordinator, Istvan moved on to five different schools, holding the title of OC at one point in time for them all.
In 2019, Istvan got a call from a familiar voice. It was the same guy who gave him his start back in 1990: Stoutland. In those 20+ years they spent apart, Stoutland was earning the reputation as one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL. In 2019 Istvan joined the Eagles' staff as the assistant offensive line coach, a position he still holds to this very day.
Istvan's run has been impressive. He, along with Stoutland, has coached several pro bowlers on the offensive line such as Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelce, and Lane Johnson. In 2021, the Eagles had the best offensive line in the NFL, leading the league in rushing as a team. The Eagles have done the best job in the league over the last two seasons of utilizing their quarterback's legs as an extra person defenses have to account for in the run game.
If Shane Steichen is going to have success early on, it’s very pivotal he knocks this offensive line coach hire out of the park. His best chance at replicating what he had in Philly is to get a guy that has experience and saw first hand what it takes to get elite level production out of an offensive line. Istvan can teach a zone blocking scheme to this Colts' offensive line that will highlight strengths that have not been used in the past.
I actually think on a talent level this Colts' offensive line is comparable to that Eagles front and, in the right scheme/system, we can see an uptick in production really quickly. Steichen knows he needs people he can trust and it just makes too much sense for him to call up a familiar face in Istvan.
