The Colts made at least one needed decision on the staff this week. The franchise will not retain Gus Bradley for the 2025 season and will now be in the market for a new defensive coordinator. The last of the Frank Reich era has left this staff. While Bradley was the only one who was not retained, it is expected that the rest of the defensive staff will not be retained either.
The evidence to move on from Bradley became more and more apparent as the season progressed. They were unable to improve in numerous categories. The worst things we saw this season were the tackling (or lack thereof), the poor third-down defense, and the inability to prevent explosive plays. The poor tackling was disturbing for this team as they led the NFL in missed tackles with over 140 such misses. A group of professional athletes that were unable to properly tackle was the most damning sentiment of the Gus Bradley defense. I lost count of how many 3rd and longs this defense gave up. Many of them were in key moments or just blew up any momentum. Finally, we saw this secondary give up explosive play after explosive play. Some notables that had some of their notable games of the season include Malik Nabers, Trevor Lawrence, and Joe Mixon.
However, the most damning stat was the yards and points allowed. Never showed progress or improvement during the tenure. The opponents averaged 362 yards/game this season. In the points allowed department during his tenure, they have ranked 29th, 28th, and 24th. So yes, statistically, they improved, but the body of work we saw with Gus Bradley was unsatisfactory and warranted a change.
Road Map and Potential Candidates
Now, for some thoughts about the new hire that hopefully Steichen will be making and not Chris Ballard. I felt that Steichen has struggled to fully transition to being a head coach and it was evident that Bradley was not the correct choice. That brings me to the belief that Steichen may look to bring on someone who has head coaching experience so that the coach can assist him in overall game planning. A former head coach would also be expected to help the needed culture shift that Bradley reportedly ruined.
If you want to play devil’s advocate, they might struggle to hire a former head coach because this could be a lame-duck season for Steichen and Ballard. Would an accomplished coach want to take a job for potentially one season? That is yet to be known but let’s jump into some names that fit these simple criteria during this coordinator search.
Editor’s Note: Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that former defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, Lou Anarumo, as well as longtime NFL Coach Steve Wilks are set to interview for Indy’s open DC job.
Robert Saleh
While highly unlikely, the franchise must reach out to him. It appears that he will get some head coaching interviews during this cycle. It is rare to see a head coach get fired in season and then get another head coach position immediately. Typically, you will see them either take a year off or jump back to a coordinator position. Saleh did latch on in Green Bay this season as an offensive consultant after he was fired from the New York Jets.
He spent just a shade over 3 seasons in New York and compiled a 20-36 record. Not an impressive performance but did have to deal with the charade of that franchise. Whether it was too much influence from ownership and the charade that Aaron Rodgers was, Saleh could not right the ship.
Where Saleh thrived in his career was as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. He is still on the younger side of most coaches and would bring a totally different attitude than Gus Bradley brought. Saleh has some intensity to him and is a proven defensive coordinator in this league and would be a welcome addition to this staff.
Dennis Allen
Like Robert Saleh, Allen was fired during the season and it’s the second time that has happened to him as a head coach. Allen has been a head coach for both Las Vegas and New Orleans. He compiled a 26-53 record as a head coach. In his defense, his time in Las Vegas (then Oakland) was marred by inconsistent quarterback play and poor roster construction.
His head coaching record implies that he won’t get a third chance as a head coach. Rarely do you see a coach get a third head coaching opportunity unless it’s an interim opportunity during a losing season. Some coaches are better as coordinators, and it appears Allen falls into that category. He has coached both college and professional ranks and comes from the Sean Payton coaching tree. Allen could fit in with a vast array of experience to deal with all the issues plaguing this defense.
Steve Wilks
A bit of an out-of-the-box candidate but could be perfect for this staff. Like Allen, he has coached both the college and professional ranks. He is a true grinder of the coaching profession. While that might scare some teams away from him, it could be an asset to this franchise. He did not coach in the NFL this season and opted to take the season off and work as a volunteer assistant to the University of Charlotte football program.
Wilks’ head coaching record is nothing to cheer about. He was let go after one season in Arizona, where he compiled a 3-13 record. He was plagued with inconsistency at quarterback and it appeared the job may have been too much for him. The complete opposite in Carolina where he was named the interim head coach after the franchise fired head coach Matt Rhule. He righted the ship and managed a 6-6 record, and it appeared he had earned the full-time job. He later latched on at San Francisco and eventually lost his job after a bad defensive effort in Super Bowl 57, where the game plan was ineffective.
Some factors are going in favor of Wilks now. The 49ers fired his successor (Nick Sorenson) on Tuesday as the defense was not the same since Wilks exited. Wilks also has some ties to both Ballard and Steichen. He was on the same staff with Steichen in San Diego and with Ballard in Chicago. These were quite a long time ago, but it bears mentioning. Wilks’ time with Carolina shows he has experience having to step in and fix culture and locker room issues, which is exactly what Indianapolis might need right now.
Ron Rivera
The longtime Carolina and Washington head coach. His stint in Carolina lasted 9 seasons and he’d follow this up with a 4-season tenure in Washington. His overall record as head coach is 102-103-2, but it was in Carolina where he thrived, earning an appearance in Super Bowl 50. He was also named NFL Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015. It’s not a dazzling resume, but it is nothing to scoff at.
Rivera did not coach anywhere this season and has been on the media circuit with ESPN and Westwood One. Rivera has only taken one head coaching interview with the New York Jets this cycle. It does not appear that he is scheduled for any more right now. If he is truly not finished with coaching, then finishing your career as a coordinator might be his best option. Especially with his age becoming a factor as well.
Is a 63-year-old coach ready to take on the vigors and schedule of a head coach again? Only Rivera truly knows but the possibility to coach a unit so desperate for a facelift could be intriguing. He could also be a real mentor and true right-hand man to Shane Steichen this upcoming season. Rivera would not need micro-managing and can be trusted to address the locker room and egos that has infected this locker room.
More from The Blue Stable:
