It’s devastating: the Colts head coach has announced his unexpected departure, making a strong statement and wishing the team and fans a very fond farewell.

It’s devastating: the Colts head coach has announced his unexpected departure, making a strong statement and wishing the team and fans a very fond farewell.

After former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, the Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Frank Reich, marking his second in-season termination. Former Colts offensive lineman Jeff Saturday, in his first NFL coaching role, has taken over on an interim basis.
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Avery Williamson and Brian Baldinger, two former NFL players, respond to the unexpected interim hiring of Jeff Saturday, an unproven coach, and the firing of the Indianapolis Colts head coach.
After four and a half seasons in leadership, head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts was sacked. In an unexpected move, former offensive lineman Jeff Saturday was named the team’s new interim coach.

He ends his career in Indianapolis with a 40-33-1 record. He made it to the postseason twice, losing to the Buffalo Bills in their 2020 Wild Card game and the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Divisional Round playoff.

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With Jonathan Taylor leading the rush in 2021, trying to match last season’s dominance, and the Colts’ offensive line drastically declining, the team’s attack is among the least productive in the league. Reich’s departure occurs just one week after Marcus Brady, the offensive coordinator, was fired.

Since Andrew Luck abruptly retired before the 2019 season, the team has searched and failed to find a long-term replacement. Although Carson Wentz and Philip Rivers both played a season for the team in 2020 and 2021, respectively, they were unable to provide the missing piece to the puzzle.

Colts surprise fans by signing a former player Saturday in the role of temporary coach
In his first-ever NFL coaching position, former offensive lineman Jeff Saturday has been named the Colts’ new temporary head coach.

On Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Indianapolis, interim head coach Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts talks during a press conference at the team’s practice facility. (Image by Darron Cummings/AP)
Picture: Indianapolis For the duration of the season, Jeff Saturday, a former player, will serve as the Colts’ temporary coach.
Playing for the Colts from 1999 to 2011, Saturday was selected to the first team of the All-Pro  Football League twice and to the Pro Bowl six times. He was a member of the team’s Ring of Honor in 2015 and won a Super Bowl in 2006.

The Colts had earlier extended an offer to Saturday to become their offensive line coach in 2019, but he had been a paid consultant for the organization until his hiring on Monday.

His sole previous coaching experience came from two seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia’s Hebron Christian Academy’s high school football team, where he went 21-16 as head coach before taking over in 2017.

To say that Saturday was shocked would be an understatement. “I feel fully capable,” he continued.

“The conversation we had swiftly got out of hand. It was an intense twelve hours.”

The absence of coaching experience on Saturday was one of the advantages of the appointment, according to Colts owner Irsay.

Irsay remarked at a press conference, “I’m glad he doesn’t have any NFL experience.” “I’m relieved he hasn’t picked up on the dread that exists in this league, as it can be difficult for all of our coaches. They’re terrified. When they go to analytics, things become challenging.

“All of that is not his. That fear does not exist in him. There was also just one other contender. It was our good fortune that he was free.

“I understand that he’s fully capable of doing this.”

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