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Jim Irsay is far from your average everyday billionaire NFL owner.
So it makes sense that the Indianapolis Colts owner would have anything but the ordinary head coaching search.
Irsay made waves when he fired then coach Frank Reich only to replace him with former Colts star Jeff Saturday, who had no prior coaching experience above the high school level.
Unsurprisingly, Saturday struggled.
The six-time Pro Bowler went just 1-7 in his eight games in charge. But when it came time to find a permanent head coach for 2023 and beyond, Irsay didn’t rule out Saturday returning.
The Colts interviewed Saturday, as well as about two dozen other candidates, for the now vacant position. Three weeks later, however, they appear no closer to naming a successor.
That is, until Friday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Irsay and Indianapolis have finally begun to whittle down their list.
#Colts have begun narrowing down the field. Giants OC Mike Kafka, a finalist in AZ, is out of the running in Indy, per source — as is Bengals OC Brian Callahan (per @AlbertBreer) and Giants DC Wink Martingale (per @MikeSilver)
Indy's long, winding search appears closer
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 10, 2023
But there are still plenty of names remaining in the running.
Those names being crossed off leaves seven coaches whom Indianapolis has interviewed who haven’t been ruled out yet: Colts special team coordinator Bubba Ventrone, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Kansas City City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday, and Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia. – via CBS Sports
Saturday, Steichen and Bieniemy appear to be the favorites, but both Glenn and Mostert are also viable options.
Earlier reports stated that Irsay strongly believes that Saturday should be the permanent head coach. But other voices in the Colts’ front office have tried to talk him out of the idea.
With the NFL offseason officially beginning the day after the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft Combine not far behind, it would behoove the Colts to speed up the process a little bit.
The rest of us wouldn’t mind some sort of resolution either.