‘It’s about getting it right’: Colts’ coaching search continues

Ben Arthur

AFC South Reporter

Chris Ballard let the NFL world know what his head coach search would look like. On Jan. 10, during the GM’s end-of-season press conference, a reporter asked him what he had learned going through the process the first time. In 2018, the Colts hired Frank Reich after Josh McDaniels backed out of his handshake agreement to be the team’s head coach.

Ballard’s response? Don’t start with the end in mind. A lot of times, he explained, you have a vision of what you want beforehand, making it easier to ignore someone who is, in his words, “really freaking good.”

Ballard made it clear that patience and thorough interviews, with all the candidates considered, would be paramount this time around.

“I don’t care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach,” he said. “It’s about getting it right.”

That wasn’t said in jest.

February just started, and it doesn’t appear that the Colts are particularly close to naming a head coach. According to NFL Network, Indianapolis is considering a “rare” third round of interviews. That’s after a second round that reportedly included eight candidates. Interim coach Jeff Saturday is reportedly still in the mix, and Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan’s name has popped.

The team had initial interviews with 13 coaches, more than any of the other four teams looking for a new leader. And the candidates come from far-ranging backgrounds, with expertise on defense, offense and special teams.

It’s a diverse group, highlighting one of the most exhaustive head coach searches we’ve seen in recent NFL history. It’s been so thorough that it has come across as comical to some league observers, and frustrating to some Colts fans. Of the five teams that had openings this cycle, the Colts are one of two teams — the Cardinals being the other — that hasn’t made a hire.

Colts fire Frank Reich after 3-5-1 start

FOX Sports NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson joined Colin Cowherd to discuss the firing of Colts head coach Frank Reich in November. Since then, Reich has been hired by Carolina while Indianapolis continues its search.

Indianapolis’ lengthy process shouldn’t come as a surprise. Ballard, the leader of the search (owner Jim Irsay has the final say), is facing more pressure than ever to make the right decisions, to bring in the right personnel to extricate the franchise from the chaos he played a key role in creating. And he knows it. Reich was canned in December, but the GM got to stay.

Ballard started his end-of-season press conference with “I failed.” He acknowledged that criticism of the job he has done is “warranted.”

“I’ve not lost any confidence in what we can build here,” Ballard said. “When you fail in this world, you get canceled and everybody wants your head, and rightfully so in some cases. But, if you’re able to go through it and grow from it, you can reach your greatest heights and I think we will.”

Look at the quality of the head coaches in the AFC South, too. The Titans have Mike Vrabel, the 2021 AP Coach of the Year whose team embodies his personality. The Jaguars have Doug Pederson, the Super Bowl-winning former Eagles coach who may win Coach of the Year this season for quickly changing Jacksonville’s culture. The Texans just hired DeMeco Ryans, the 38-year-old former 49ers defensive coordinator who’s universally beloved and respected in NFL circles.

There’s reason to believe all three franchises have the leadership to make noise in the years to come, and the Colts must follow suit to keep from falling behind in the division.

Beyond finding the right coach, Indianapolis has several other issues to solve this offseason.

With the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts are positioned to select or trade up for their potential quarterback of the future, ending the years-long carousel at the position. But their issues go far beyond signal-caller.

Here’s what must improve for Indianapolis on the offensive side of the ball, outside of quarterback play, to get back to relevancy in 2023:

Consistency from Bernhard Raimann

Ballard said that he believes Raimann, a 2022 third-round pick, could be the Colts’ long-term left tackle. For that to be the case, he’ll need to upgrade his consistency following an up-and-down rookie season. To his credit, he did improve as the season progressed: After allowing five pressures and being called for five penalties in his first career start in Week 5 against the Broncos, Raimann averaged 2.1 pressures and 0.5 penalties per game over his last 10 starts, according to Pro Football Focus.

Upgrade at right guard, OL depth

The Colts spent big at left guard (Quenton Nelson; four years, $80 million), center (Ryan Kelly; four years, $49.65 million) and right tackle (Braden Smith; four years, $70 million), but lacked meaningful investment at left tackle and right guard.

That backfired, which Ballard has acknowledged. Even with Raimann looking like the left tackle for 2023, right guard still must be addressed. Indianapolis had four players play at least 79 snaps at the spot in 2022, per PFF: Smith, Will Fries, Danny Pinter and Matt Pryor. The team will need stability and more production there, as well as higher-quality depth at all spots.

The return of a healthy Jonathan Taylor

Between ankle soreness and a high-ankle sprain, Taylor played just 11 games and had his worst season as a pro in 2022. He had career-lows in yards per carry, rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and scrimmage yards. The former All-Pro running back told NFL.com that he had ankle surgery in January and plans to be “100 percent ready to rock.” Indianapolis will need it, as he’s the engine of its offense.

More talent, playmaking at receiver

The Colts didn’t have much of a vertical passing attack thanks to limitations at quarterback and poor pass protection, but that doesn’t mean the wideouts were blameless. Indianapolis pass-catchers averaged just 4.52 yards after the catch (YAC) per reception, fourth-worst in the NFL, and had a 4.8% drop rate last season, 22nd in the NFL, per TruMedia.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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