Pez
11-29-2017, 10:03 AM
Here's a list of coaches, and I know it will be someone's opinion that they all should go, but I am not sure how realistic it is that we would find replacements for each of these candidates in a single season. My uneducated take on who stays, goes, and why. I missed a few, so add your $0.02 as appropriate. Flame on.
TL;DR - Brian Schottenheimer replaces Chud, Emanuel to DC, Mathis to DL coach, a bunch of others fired.
Chuck Pagano - Head Coach
I dont need to say anything here...
Rob Chudzinski - Offensive Coordinator
Chud lucked into Cam Newton when he was the OC for the Panthers, well enough that he landed the prestigious HC job with the browns, only to be fired in less than 12 calendar months after he led the storied Browns to a 4-10 record. He and Pagano worked together at Miami, and he was hired as Pags' special assistant before Page threw Pep under the bus and moved Chud up to OC. He was apparently able to change the offense enough to get Brissett to understand the language and be able to function, but his lack of imagination and lack of ability to compensate for what defenses are doing is simply not getting his job done. He's Pags' guy, so he needs to go with Pags. I think Brian Schottenheimer ends up here.
Ted Monachino - Defensive Coordinator
I'm ok with Ted. I think he's probabaly responsible for fixing our run D. I think he's handcuffed a bit by Pags' personnel decisions. I think he will ultimately end up staying as the Colts defense is at least somewhat serviceable despite the lack of a consistent pass rush and issues at CB and ILB. I think it's pretty clear that he has the skills to do this job given his history with the Ravens. I recognize that he had a feast of talent on the Ravens D and that was probabaly the biggest factor of his success. He's been to and won a superbowl. I think we end up keeping Ted and I look forward to seeing his defense grow as we hopefully solve some presonnel issues.
Tom McMahon - Special Teams Coordinator
Maurice Drayton - Assistant Special Teams Coach
I would keep both these guys. The only frustration I have with our ST is that we seem to have an issue with balancing risk and reward on kick returns. I'm tired (as everyone else is) if seeing Quan Bray run the ball from 5 yeards deep in the end zone. Not sure how much is Quan vs his coordinators. Quan is at the end of his contract and becomes an RFA at the end of this season so maybe he will be gone and that will force us to take the return game in a different direction.
Joe Philbin - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line
Joe Gilbert - Assistant Offensive Line Coach
You just cant keep these guys. Gilbert has been here all six of Luck's years. They have personnel issues, dont seem to know who should be on the field and when. I dont need to elaborate here.
Brian Schottenheimer - Quarterbacks Coach
With a lot of varied experience on offense in both college and NFL, Grigson hired him in 2016. I see him being a candidate for the OC to replace Chud. Pure speculation, but I can imagine he is part of the reason that Brissett has done so well? Maybe also he was part of the reason Luck regressed in 2016... I think he and Chud are not on the same page. A QB-centric OC is probabaly good for this team.
Gary Emanuel - Defensive Line Coach
Robert Mathis - Pass Rush Consultant/Player Development
Here's our DC. He's a long time DL coach, and he's been a DC before at Purdue. I would almost like to see Robert moved to DL coach, but I'm not sure if he would be interested, not experienced enough. Perhaps an additional assistant here could make Robert effective in this role. Maybe I'm just a sucker for sentimentality.
Darren Krein - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Richard Howell - Assistant Strength Coach
Ryan Podell - Sports Science/Conditioning
It's only Krein's second year as S&C coach. After a successful tenure at Miami, I think that we should give him another year or two to develop and implement his program. I know that it's a knee-jerk reaction to go looking for heads to roll from S&C staff when a team has a lot of injuries, but I think the link between S&C and injuries is tenuous and indirect. Richard Howell has been around since Manning's second season and would be important to retain for continuity. Ryan Podell seems like a charcter in moneyball.
Jim Herrmann - Linebackers Coach
Brad White - Outside Linebackers Coach
I like both these guys where they are. Herrmann is a journeyman LB coach, and Brad White is a young guy that has shown some promise after six year with the team. This is Herrmann's second season, and White's sixth. I think that White's tenure with the team will hep Herrmann be more successful next year. Both are handcuffed by talent issues, and probabaly will be so next year.
Sanjay Lal - Wide Receivers Coach
First year guy, and I think he deserves another year. He's been passed from team to team as a WR coach (raiders, jets, bills). I think that we will likely not be seeing an infusion of talent at the WR position this year and I would probabaly want to see him instill a greater sense of discipline. This really depends on Ballard righting the cluster fuck that Pagano has made. Lal is highly regarded by players he has coached and is one of Ballard's first hires. With Moncrief at the end of his contract and guys like Aiken and Rodgers needing to develop, stability is important here after Hostler's and Hull's short tenures in the position.
Jim Hostler - Tight Ends Coach
Hard to say what happened here. It seems like a move from WR coach to TE coach would be a bit of a demotion, but Im not sure, he's be TE coach for two years. This guy is he the classic Pagano ravens / browns connection hire... I dont see any reason outright to move him, save perhaps that our TE's have blocking issues and we cant seem to get swoope on the field. If I had to guess I would say this guy will go with Pagano.
Jeff Popovich - Defensive Quality Control Coach
Played under Pags at Miami, carried his clipboard last year. A lot of these QC positions seem to be grooming positions for higher level coaching jobs. My guess is that we will follow clappy wherever he goes, perhaps to I dont give a shit.
TL;DR - Brian Schottenheimer replaces Chud, Emanuel to DC, Mathis to DL coach, a bunch of others fired.
Chuck Pagano - Head Coach
I dont need to say anything here...
Rob Chudzinski - Offensive Coordinator
Chud lucked into Cam Newton when he was the OC for the Panthers, well enough that he landed the prestigious HC job with the browns, only to be fired in less than 12 calendar months after he led the storied Browns to a 4-10 record. He and Pagano worked together at Miami, and he was hired as Pags' special assistant before Page threw Pep under the bus and moved Chud up to OC. He was apparently able to change the offense enough to get Brissett to understand the language and be able to function, but his lack of imagination and lack of ability to compensate for what defenses are doing is simply not getting his job done. He's Pags' guy, so he needs to go with Pags. I think Brian Schottenheimer ends up here.
Ted Monachino - Defensive Coordinator
I'm ok with Ted. I think he's probabaly responsible for fixing our run D. I think he's handcuffed a bit by Pags' personnel decisions. I think he will ultimately end up staying as the Colts defense is at least somewhat serviceable despite the lack of a consistent pass rush and issues at CB and ILB. I think it's pretty clear that he has the skills to do this job given his history with the Ravens. I recognize that he had a feast of talent on the Ravens D and that was probabaly the biggest factor of his success. He's been to and won a superbowl. I think we end up keeping Ted and I look forward to seeing his defense grow as we hopefully solve some presonnel issues.
Tom McMahon - Special Teams Coordinator
Maurice Drayton - Assistant Special Teams Coach
I would keep both these guys. The only frustration I have with our ST is that we seem to have an issue with balancing risk and reward on kick returns. I'm tired (as everyone else is) if seeing Quan Bray run the ball from 5 yeards deep in the end zone. Not sure how much is Quan vs his coordinators. Quan is at the end of his contract and becomes an RFA at the end of this season so maybe he will be gone and that will force us to take the return game in a different direction.
Joe Philbin - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line
Joe Gilbert - Assistant Offensive Line Coach
You just cant keep these guys. Gilbert has been here all six of Luck's years. They have personnel issues, dont seem to know who should be on the field and when. I dont need to elaborate here.
Brian Schottenheimer - Quarterbacks Coach
With a lot of varied experience on offense in both college and NFL, Grigson hired him in 2016. I see him being a candidate for the OC to replace Chud. Pure speculation, but I can imagine he is part of the reason that Brissett has done so well? Maybe also he was part of the reason Luck regressed in 2016... I think he and Chud are not on the same page. A QB-centric OC is probabaly good for this team.
Gary Emanuel - Defensive Line Coach
Robert Mathis - Pass Rush Consultant/Player Development
Here's our DC. He's a long time DL coach, and he's been a DC before at Purdue. I would almost like to see Robert moved to DL coach, but I'm not sure if he would be interested, not experienced enough. Perhaps an additional assistant here could make Robert effective in this role. Maybe I'm just a sucker for sentimentality.
Darren Krein - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Richard Howell - Assistant Strength Coach
Ryan Podell - Sports Science/Conditioning
It's only Krein's second year as S&C coach. After a successful tenure at Miami, I think that we should give him another year or two to develop and implement his program. I know that it's a knee-jerk reaction to go looking for heads to roll from S&C staff when a team has a lot of injuries, but I think the link between S&C and injuries is tenuous and indirect. Richard Howell has been around since Manning's second season and would be important to retain for continuity. Ryan Podell seems like a charcter in moneyball.
Jim Herrmann - Linebackers Coach
Brad White - Outside Linebackers Coach
I like both these guys where they are. Herrmann is a journeyman LB coach, and Brad White is a young guy that has shown some promise after six year with the team. This is Herrmann's second season, and White's sixth. I think that White's tenure with the team will hep Herrmann be more successful next year. Both are handcuffed by talent issues, and probabaly will be so next year.
Sanjay Lal - Wide Receivers Coach
First year guy, and I think he deserves another year. He's been passed from team to team as a WR coach (raiders, jets, bills). I think that we will likely not be seeing an infusion of talent at the WR position this year and I would probabaly want to see him instill a greater sense of discipline. This really depends on Ballard righting the cluster fuck that Pagano has made. Lal is highly regarded by players he has coached and is one of Ballard's first hires. With Moncrief at the end of his contract and guys like Aiken and Rodgers needing to develop, stability is important here after Hostler's and Hull's short tenures in the position.
Jim Hostler - Tight Ends Coach
Hard to say what happened here. It seems like a move from WR coach to TE coach would be a bit of a demotion, but Im not sure, he's be TE coach for two years. This guy is he the classic Pagano ravens / browns connection hire... I dont see any reason outright to move him, save perhaps that our TE's have blocking issues and we cant seem to get swoope on the field. If I had to guess I would say this guy will go with Pagano.
Jeff Popovich - Defensive Quality Control Coach
Played under Pags at Miami, carried his clipboard last year. A lot of these QC positions seem to be grooming positions for higher level coaching jobs. My guess is that we will follow clappy wherever he goes, perhaps to I dont give a shit.