Indianapolis Colts Offseason Checklist Series: Head Coach

Requested Interviews:

Aaron Glenn
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator/Detroit Lions

An NFL lifer and overall solid defensive mind. Was the first-round pick of the NY Jets in 1994 and got into coaching in 2014. Spent most of his time in New Orleans as defensive assistant and landed his first coordinator job this season in Detroit on Dan Campbell’s staff.

His defense struggled in the beginning of the season but rounded into form later this season and finished strong this week against Green Bay helping Detroit to achieve their first winning season since 2017.

Ben Johnson
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator/Detroit Lions

A very young former college quarterback gets his first chance to interview for a head coaching position. Johnson was the QB at the University of North Carolina from 2004-2007 and got into coaching right away after graduation. He has had constant and steady progression in the NFL and, like Aaron Glenn, landed his first coordinator job with Dan Campbell this season.

His offense was ranked 5^th overall this season and he is the brains behind the great season that Jared Goff had. It appears that Indianapolis will not be the only one interested in his services during this offseason cycle. While he is a bit inexperienced a strong staff of assistants would potentially allow him to thrive.

Raheem Morris
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator/LA Rams

The most decorated candidate of the known requested interviews so far this Colts offseason. Morris could bring a wealth of coaching expertise to this football team. He is one of the few coaches who has coached not only as a head coach, but also coached both sides of the ball as an assistant.

He is primarily a defensive minded coach, but he did coach wide receivers in Atlanta from 2016-2019 and was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-2011 where he accrued a 17-31 record. He has been an interim coach for Atlanta as well when they fired Dan Quinn mid-season in 2020. Most recently, he has been the defensive coordinator of the LA Rams on Sean McVay’s staff.

Shane Steichen
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator/Philadelphia Eagles

This request came as a surprise as Eagles HC Nick Siriani had some telling comments about the firing of his mentor and former boss Frank Reich this season when his team played in Indy this season.

Siriani made it seem that his staff had no intention of being part of the Colts organization in the future but there are only 32 of these available and you always want an opportunity. Steichen has shown this season to be a coach that is ready to take the next step, even at the young age of 37.

Steichen has brought the Eagles offense to the top of the class and has maximized Jalen Hurts talents and had him firmly in the MVP discussion before his injury at the end of the season. Eagles are third in passing yards per game at 394 yards per game and 4^th in rushing yards with 194 yards per game. He comes from the Frank Reich/Nick Siriani coaching tree so it will be interesting to see how that works with the organization.

Non-Staff Top Candidates:

Jim Harbaugh
Current Position: Head Coach/University of Michigan

This should be the number one candidate for the Colts offseeason. He will also be a top candidate with other franchises as well. Harbaugh’s credentials speak for themselves. While Harbaugh has not coached in the NFL since 2014 he has stayed busy bringing his alma mater, The University of Michigan back to national prominence.

During his 8-season tenure at Michigan he has a 74-25 record with back-to-back college football playoff appearances the last two seasons. Michigan has also churned out NFL talent every season. Before his time at Michigan, he was the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, where accumulated a 44-19 record with One NFC Championship (3 appearances) and a Super Bowl loss in 2013 season.

Harbaugh has shown the ability to not only turn around teams but to also keep sustained success. With Indianapolis needing a clean slate and an incoming franchise quarterback from the NFL Draft this would be the perfect scenario for the Colts Ring of Honor member.

Leslie Frazier
Current Position: Buffalo Bills Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator

 Don’t be surprised to hear this name early and often in the head coach search this Colts offseason. Frazier was a top assistant under Tony Dungy during his time in Indianapolis and was on staff for the Super Bowl winning team in 2006. Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for 3 full seasons and had one playoff appearance.

They drafted Christian Ponder, who turned out to be a bust and he was not retained after his third full season. Many believe if he had a better quarterback, he would have had more success with Minnesota. His current tenure in Buffalo has been stellar and while he is getting older it appears he wants one more shot as an NFL head coach. He was reportedly a finalist (along with Mike Vrabel) when Ballard hired McDaniels and then eventually ended up with Frank Reich after McDaniels had a change of heart.

DeMeco Ryans
Current Position: San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator

Ryans enters this offseason as, arguably, the hottest coordinator in this coaching cycle. He respectfully turned down all opportunities last season as he felt he wasn’t ready to be a head coach and wanted to focus on San Francisco’s playoff run.

Ryans will still have another playoff run to prepare for but this year it seems he will be willing to listen and interview for opportunities to be a head coach. There is zero doubt about him being ready for the challenge now. He was a 10-year veteran in this league before getting into coaching after his retirement in 2017. He started coaching immediately in the 49ers organization and has quickly moved up the ranks under the grooming of Kyle Shanahan.

In-House Candidates:

Jeff Saturday
Current Position: Interim Head Coach/Indianapolis Colts

Jeff Saturday is expected to get strong interest from management within the organization. He finished his interim stint with a 1-7 record and showed zero team progression since taking over from Frank Reich. He stated in his exit presser that he does want the job and would make significant changes to the coaching staff.

Saturday would not get into specifics, but changes would be made from top to bottom. The concern would be the coaches he could convince to come to the franchise with his minimal experience. He is beloved by the Colts owner Jim Irsay and there is some concern that he would overrule the advice of Chris Ballard and his staff if they believe there is a better candidate for the job.

Raymond "Bubba" Ventrone
Current Position: Colts Special Teams Coordinator

This is a long shot for the job but not one to rule out. Ventrone has the respect of his peers from the players to the management. He has produced a top-level special teams unit during his five seasons in Indianapolis. It was Ventrone who handled all head coaching business when Reich was out with COVID protocols early this past season.

It has been Ventrone who Jeff Saturday has been seen discussing key in game decisions during games. It was Ventrone the media felt would take over on the interim basis if/when Reich was let go. Obviously, that was not the case, but it bears noting that many believe he is ready for the challenge of being an NFL head coach. No matter who becomes head coach of the Indianapolis Colts this coming offseason, Ventrone should be a priority to bring back on staff.

Let us know your thoughts on the Colts offseason in the comments below!

Main image credit Embed from Getty Images