Colts Defensive Coach Reportedly Leaving for Notre Dame

After an underwhelming year from the Indianapolis Colts' defensive line, change is coming.

Oct 27, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers assistant head coach Charlie Partridge looks on against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Heinz Field. PITT won 54-45. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

After two years of coaching the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts, Charlie Partridge is heading out of the NFL and back to college, this time for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

ESPN''s Adam Rittenberg broke the news.

Sources: Notre Dame is set to hire Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach Charlie Partridge for the same role. An accomplished college assistant and former FAU head coach, Partridge was at Pitt from 2017-2023. Worked with ND coordinator Chris Ash at Wisconsin, Arkansas, Drake. pic.twitter.com/0uxr58KoxO

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 2, 2026

Partridge was hired in 2024 after years with the Pittsburgh Panthers as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach with hopes that he could morph the defensive front into a formidable group.

However, this didn't happen while he was in Indy, with this year showing that the defensive trenches were a serious problem, especially when it came to getting after the quarterback.

Time and time again, opposing quarterbacks had ample time to survey the field and get comfortable to dice up Lou Anarumo's secondary. While the first half of the year was better, the second half of the season is where we saw a decline.

It's not all on Partridge for a lack of pass-rush and efficiency, but given that he's the coach who was hired to improve that area of the defense, he must take most of the responsibility.

Laiatu Latu is far and away the best sack artist this year, leading Indianapolis with 8.5. After that, the next closest players are Adetomiwa Adebawore (4.0), DeForest Buckner (4.0), and Kwity Paye (4.0).

While Buckner only saw 10 games this year after dealing with a nagging neck injury that put him on Injured Reserve twice, it's still no excuse to have an underwhelming pass-rush for a second-straight year under Partridge.

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Nov 5, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Charlie Partridge watches during practice before a game against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Once Partridge leaves for Notre Dame after this year concludes, it will be critical for Indianapolis to find a far better fit than what they've attained over the past few years.

Before Partridge was hired, it was Nate Ollie who coached the defensive trenches, and while 2022 was better, 2023 was a pitfall for Ollie's group on the roster. This led to Partridge's opportunity.

This has been arguably the worst spot on the defense ever since general manager Chris Ballard took the job in 2017. In fact, the Colts haven't had a player with 10-plus sacks since Justin Houston had 11.0 in 2019.

It's not all about sacks, but QB pressures, as well. As far as this is concerned, the Colts haven't been able to accomplish the task of making field generals uncomfortable, leading to offenses peppering the defense in the passing game.

It will be quite interesting to see what the Colts do for their next defensive line coach hire. Regardless, they have to nail it this time, or risk more years of having a lack of pass-rush.

In today's NFL, that simply won't do if a squad wants to make the playoffs. The Colts have one more game with the Houston Texans before they start offseason preparations, so for now, the focus is on Week 18.

This is the first bit of news regarding change for the Colts, but expect more for a team that has many questions after missing the palyoffs for a fifth-straight season with no answers in sight.