Shane Steichen has just completed a long-gone signed contract that was started by the Colts former head coach, and his team players have named him the best coach ever.

Shane Steichen has just completed a long-gone signed contract that was started by the Colts former head coach, and his team players have named him the best coach ever.

The players on Shane Steichen’s club have voted him the best coach of all time, and he recently signed a long-gone contract that was started by the former Colts head coach.

INDIANAPOLIS: Shane Steichen took a moment to himself ninety minutes after he signed his contract and roughly an hour before he was named the Colts‘ new head coach. Breathing was necessary for him to ponder the hectic past 48 hours.

Thus, during the opening quarter of Super Bowl LVII, he lost it. He observed. He gave it some thought. He pondered over the journey to get there, how everything came to an end, and how near they had been.

Before the game, Steichen and his spouse, Nina, continued to have the same conversation: they were appreciative one moment, then a little avaricious the next, telling themselves how lucky they were to have two pivotal moments in their careers coincide, then desiring both to go their way. Being given the opportunity was insufficient. Of course, Steichen wanted to be head coach of the Colts. He wanted a Super Bowl title, though, first.

Steichen called the plays for an offense that amassed 417 yards and 35 points on Sunday night at State Farm Stadium. The Eagles suffered a three-point loss. In less than a day, he found himself on Colts owner Jim Irsay’s private jet, on his way to Indianapolis and the next phase of his career as the team’s second-youngest head coach ever.

With reference to his experience, 37-year-old Steichen commented that he spent two years as the offensive coordinator for Philadelphia, which appears to be a requirement for taking over as head coach of the Colts. This is a major factor in Steichen’s appointment, as he is charged with mending an offense that is in disarray and revitalizing a struggling team that is in dire need of a fresh direction and voice following the disastrous 4-12-1 record from the previous campaign.

In actuality, the Colts had virtually decided their course of action eight days prior to the Super Bowl, following Irsay’s personal five-hour discussion with Steichen in Philadelphia. A group comprising chief operating officer Pete Ward, general manager Chris Ballard, and director of team development Brian Decker met with him for over ten hours the following day.

At first, what impressed the Colts most about Steichen was his intelligence; Ballard referred to him as “brilliant.” “A unique brain for football,” Irsay remarked. Regarding football, the Colts put Steichen through a series of assessments meant to determine his recall, mental preparedness, and situational awareness. They talked about anything from using timeouts to fourth-down decisions and down-and-distance plays. What is his reliance on analytics? On game day, they were interested in seeing how he would solve difficulties and how fast he would react when things started moving swiftly. One person in the room was reminded of what they used to hear from Peyton Manning by Steichen’s excellent performance.

During the lengthy 35-day search by the Colts, Irsay once called up Philip Rivers, his former quarterback, who was under Steichen in San Diego. Los Angeles and Diego. Rivers was all praise for his former quarterback coach and coordinator, Steichen, telling Irsay about a period when he stopped using the call sheet and began calling plays only by memory.

The final item to cross off the list was everything else that a head coach must have: Irsay needed to be aware that Steichen could dominate a room. He needed to sense his existence. He needed to be certain that he could guide a team of men. This five-hour sit-down in Philadelphia on Friday, the day before the Eagles’ flight to Arizona, was all about that.

Irsay walked away, certain he had found the one. “Wonderfully performed,” the proprietor subsequently remarked. However, he didn’t say anything to Ballard later, preferring his general manager to come to his own conclusions. Irsay had granted Ballard permission to handle this coaching search in whatever way he saw fit. Following a long conversation with his boss following the Colts’ devastating, season-ending loss to the Texans on January 9, the general manager opted to carry out the most exhaustive approach possible. The reasoning was that there was no need to rush it because the Colts weren’t going after a big fish, such as Jim Harbaugh or Sean Payton.

“I never get why everyone is in such a rush,” Ballard stated on Tuesday. It’s important to do things correctly. We would have conducted 50 interviews if that meant we had to speak with 50 people.

In the end, it was 13, even though the Colts had asked for 14, and DeMeco Ryans had abruptly canceled on them. The Texans were then granted 14 jobs. The lengthy five-week process had eight finalists and twenty-one virtual and in-person interviews. The final face-to-face encounter took place eight days prior to the Super Bowl with Steichen. Irsay promised Ballard, “I’m not going to tell you anything you’re not going to see,” prior to their meeting the following day.

Steichen was astute, articulate, and well-prepared—not just for situational football but also for discussing the shortcomings in the Colts’ roster. He was aware of their deficiencies. He remarked, “I did research on this place, just like they did on me.” He outlined his goals and the four pillars—character, preparation, consistency, and relentlessness—that he plans to use in Indianapolis as he rebuilds this team. It sounds like coach lingo, but Steichen’s belief was clear on Tuesday. He pointed out that preparedness is where successful teams set themselves apart after mentioning it. In 2022, the Eagles were among the best at it.

“The result of the football game will ultimately depend on how we prepare as a football team and an organization from Monday through Saturday,” Steichen promised. Is it going to ensure our success now? No. But I can assure you that it will give us a fighting chance.

Irsay, aware that his team needed a quarterback and would almost certainly choose one in the first round of the April draft, wants offense in his next head coach. The owner is also aware that this choice has more to do with the years that will come after 2023. It was crucial for the Colts to finally start thinking long-term and to appoint the ideal head coach in preparation for the arrival of the quarterback of the future.

According to Irsay, the owner thought Steichen possessed “a lot of that offensive magic,” which is difficult to come by in this league. He continued, saying that the the side of the ball “takes a longer time to develop” and “can be a little more complex.” “Knowing we have a young quarterback to develop is a critical component.”

Regarding that quarterback, Irsay couldn’t resist mentioning, “The Alabama guy doesn’t look bad,” a reference to Bryce Young, who is probably expected to be the first quarterback selected in April.

Steichen’s past performance attests to his capacity to advance in that role.

The coach clarified on Tuesday that adapting his plan to the QB’s abilities and not taking a strict approach have been key components of his success thus far. Like his predecessor, Frank Reich, he will call the plays in Indianapolis. He will start assembling the rest of his staff on Wednesday. The presence of special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley at Steichen’s inaugural press conference on Tuesday afternoon was instructive; it’s likely that both will stay in their current positions through 2023.

In principle, that would give Steichen the opportunity to concentrate on the offensive team, the one that undermined the Colts’