Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay hired Jeff Saturday as interim coach against the strong advice of team executives. As the franchise conducts the largest coaching search in NFL history, the Colts’ owner could follow suit again with the final decision.
Indianapolis interviewed 14 NFL coaching candidates this offseason, with seven finalists emerging to replace Frank Reich. While head-coaching interviews are being conducted by general manager Chris Ballard, with Irsay’s daughter Carlie-Irsay Gordon heavily involved in the process, the Colts’ owner will make the final decision.
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It’s a situation being watched closely by many around the NFL. While Indianapolis has interviewed an unprecedented number of candidates, some around the league believe that Irsay has always planned to remove the interim tag off Saturday’s title.
While Tom Pelissero of NFL Network said he would be surprised if Saturday becomes the full-time coach, that isn’t a sentiment shared among NFL insiders.
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Peter King wrote in Monday’s Football Morning in America that Saturday is “absolutely in play” to become the Colts’ head coach in 2023. If he lands the job, many around the league believe it will have significant ramifications on minority coaches amid the NFL’s legal fight against the Brian Flores lawsuit.
“That will ignite a powder keg in the minority-coaching wars. Rightfully so. I do believe Indianapolis will finish this process with the most coaches interviewed in history. Seriously. The Colts are at 14 now, and it’s not over.
Peter King on the potential fallout of Indianapolis Colts hiring Jeff Saturday
Saturday is Irsay’s top option as the two have a very close relationship, with the former Colts’ center serving as an advisor to the owner before he left ESPN to become the interim coach. However, there is reportedly a divide within the organization regarding the coaching search.
The Score’s Jordan Schultz reported on Jan. 26 that the Colts’ front office prefers other candidates than Saturday. However, Irsay believes that the former All-Pro center has the makings of a future NFL head coach and should be able to pick his own coaching staff.
As the Houston Texans prepare to hire Lovie Smith and the Denver Broncos narrow down their finalists, the Colts’ vacancy is the one being watched closely by NFL officials.
If Saturday, whose only prior coaching experience came at the high school level, lands the job over more qualified candidates, it will likely have ramifications as the league tries to disprove claims made by Flores, Steve Wilks and others of discriminatory hiring practices.