Leave it up to Indianapolis Colts team owner Jim Irsay to go against the grain and do something no one saw coming. Frank Reich’s firing in itself was a shock, but after a disappointing 3-5-1 start, maybe there’s some justification. Somewhere. But hiring Jeff Saturday off his couch? That’s just downright impressive.
This guy does not care about outside perception. It’s his team. He’ll run it as he sees fit.
That’s pretty much exactly how Saturday has approached his first go at being an NFL head coach. While he’s leaned on several members of both his coaching staff plus his inner circle of football minds, one can only learn so much on the fly in a short amount of time.
While his foray into NFL coaching may be one of the most unprecedented moves of our lifetime, Saturday hasn’t been a total failure. In fact, he won his first game as head coach. Unfortunately, the Colts lost their next three games, but expectations couldn’t have been that high for the inexperienced former player to suddenly coach an NFL team, despite his local ties.
Still, with everything that’s transpired, Saturday isn’t losing any steam. He’s still having the time of his life learning how to handle being an NFL coach while getting to know an all-new locker room.
Yet, Saturday has to realize, he’s been placed in this spot on an interim basis. There’s no guarantee he’ll land the full-time gig later this offseason. In fact, many would assume he’s behind the eight-ball, with so many other qualified candidates waiting for a chance.
Jeff Saturday loving life as Indianapolis Colts head coach
If there’s one thing that we can’t question about Saturday, it’s his passion for football, and as of late, that’s meant passing on his knowledge from 14 years in the business as a player, where he won a Super Bowl with the Colts.
In essence, if there’s any place he could coach in the entire world, it’s likely right where he is right now. It’s a dream gig, but there are only 32 such jobs in the NFL, and there’s always a more qualified candidate, ready to be hired.
Yet, if it were up to Saturday, he’d jump at the opportunity of securing the Colts HC gig long-term. In speaking with the media on Tuesday, Saturday noted just how much he’s enjoyed his time leading the locker room, and he plans to toss his hat in the mix during the interview process this upcoming offseason.
“I plan on interviewing. As long as they give me the interview, I’m in. I enjoy the heck out of this and have had a lot of fun doing it. Again, I’m not discouraged at all. I have a vision of what this could look like in the future and plan to work that way. That’s what I do every day—work toward that goal, understanding what that could look like.”
Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday on unknown job security
Unlike when Saturday was hired, Irsay has indicated that there will be a full interview process once the offseason gets underway. One potential candidate linked to the vacancy, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN, is current Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
He’s currently leading a top-five defensive unit, has been an NFL head coach before with the Minnesota Vikings and even spent two seasons coaching the Colts’ defensive backs from 2005-06.
For now, it’s Saturday’s job to lose, and he has four more chances to show he deserves a real chance, with a full offseason, training camp, and preseason to instill his values.
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