Jeff Saturday officially interviews with Colts for head coaching job after 1-7 interim stint
Jeff Saturday's run leading the Colts didn't go well, yet Jim Irsay is considering keeping him around permanently
Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts appear to be considering the removal of Jeff Saturday’s interim tag.
The Colts owner announced Thursday afternoon that they completed an interview of Saturday for their head coach vacancy.
We completed an interview today with Jeff Saturday 🏈💪
— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) January 19, 2023
Saturday had plenty of time to prove himself in the role this season, and it did not go well.
Saturday, the former Colts lineman and ESPN analyst, was brought in to replace head coach Frank Reich on an interim basis on Nov. 7 after Reich was fired. Reich went 40-33 in his five seasons with the franchise.
Saturday’s hiring shocked plenty in the NFL world, especially considering that he had no pro or collegiate coaching experience. Colts players and assistants learned of Saturday’s hiring through Twitter and other alerts on their phones, which reportedly left them “in shock” and “frustrated” at the team facility.
Saturday won his first game with the team before losing seven straight. He allowed the biggest comeback in NFL history when the Minnesota Vikings mounted a 33-point rally last month.
After his struggles, many assumed Irsay would go in a different direction when hiring his next head coach. Maybe he still will. But, for better or worse, Saturday is in the running for the job.
“If I get this job, there is going to be significant change,” Saturday said at the end of the season, via the Indianapolis Star. “Again, I assign the last eight weeks as an incredible value, that I can learn what I want to do and what I don’t want to do and how to make those changes. It gives me a very unique perspective that I can hopefully use to better the team, better the organization.”
