Colts' coaching candidate list continues to grow
Jan. 11—INDIANAPOLIS — There are at least two in-house candidates for the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching position.
Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone interviewed for the job Wednesday, and general manager Chris Ballard confirmed a day earlier interim head coach Jeff Saturday also will be in the mix.
It's a process Ballard said will not be rushed, and part of that comes from his previous experience in 2018.
The team first settled on former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as its next head coach. An agreement was reached and a press conference was scheduled, but McDaniels backed out of the offer hours before he was to fly to Indianapolis for his official introduction.
The restarted search landed on former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and he led the team to two playoff appearances and three winning records in 4 1/2 seasons.
Finalists in both searches included current Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and current Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
After the hiring was finalized, Ballard repeatedly stated Reich was an outstanding candidate he simply overlooked during the first go-around. It's a mistake he's determined not to make again.
"A lot of times what happens is you get a vision of what what you want before — you've made your mind up, and then you might ignore somebody that's really freaking good right in front of your face," Ballard said. "We've got a very detailed process put together on the traits and attributes we're looking for in the head coach — don't care which side of the ball. And to be patient and take your time and make sure we have a thorough interview with everybody. Consistent, thorough — I don't care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach. It's about getting it right."
On that note, here's a thumbnail look at the five outside candidates known to have received interview requests from the Colts:
AARON GLENN
A first-round pick by the New York Jets in 1994, Glenn played 15 NFL seasons as a cornerback with five franchises and was selected to three Pro Bowls.
The 50-year-old began his coaching career as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and spent five years with the New Orleans Saints (2016-20) before following Campbell to Detroit as defensive coordinator.
Glenn's unit ranked 28th in scoring (25.1 points per game) and 32nd in total yards (392.4 per game) this season.
EJIRO EVERO
The 42-year-old Denver Broncos defensive coordinator was born in England and raised in California. He spent time during the offseason with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2004 but has no NFL regular season experience.
Evero's first coaching job came as an assistant at his alma mater — UC-Davis — in 2005. He joined the NFL as a defensive quality control coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007.
He made stops with the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams before becoming a coordinator for the first time this season.
Despite Denver's 5-12 finish, Evero's defense ranked seventh in yards (320 per game) and 14th in scoring (21.1 points per game).
He's completed an interview for the Broncos' head coaching position, and the Houston Texans also requested an interview.
BEN JOHNSON
A former walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, Johnson's first coaching job came as a graduate assistant with Boston College in 2009.
The 36-year-old entered the NFL as an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2012 and joined the Lions as an offensive quality control coach in 2019. After two years as the tight ends coach, he was promoted to offensive coordinator this season.
Johnson did strong work with quarterback Jared Goff, and his offense ranked fifth with an average of 26.6 points per game and fourth with 380 yards per game.
Despite his youth, he's a hot candidate with interview requests from the Texans and Carolina Panthers.
RAHEEM MORRIS
The only candidate thus far with previous head coaching experience, Morris posted a 21-38 record in three seasons with Tampa Bay (2009-11) and an interim stint with the Atlanta Falcons (2020).
The 46-year-old began his coaching tenure as a graduate assistant at Hofstra in 1998 and entered the NFL as a defensive quality control coach with the Bucs in 2002. His first job as a defensive coordinator came at Kansas State in 2006 and he rejoined Tampa Bay's staff a year later.
Morris coached defensive backs with the Washington franchise from 2012-14 and spent 2015-20 with the Falcons. He was part of his second Super Bowl championship last year as the Rams' defensive coordinator, and his unit ranked 21st in scoring (22.6 points per game) and 19th in yards (341.1 per game) this season.
Morris is expected to be a candidate to become the Rams' head coach if Sean McVay retires, and the Broncos have requested an interview.
SHANE STEICHEN
Considered an option to become Reich's offensive coordinator in 2018, Steichen currently works under Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni — who served in the role under Reich for three seasons.
The 37-year-old began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at Louisville in 2010 and joined the NFL as a defensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers in 2011. He spent one year with the Cleveland Browns before rejoining the Chargers in 2014.
Steichen remained with the Chargers through 2020, where he worked alongside Reich, Sirianni and Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley at different points.
Sirianni tabbed Steichen as his offensive coordinator when he became Philadelphia's head coach last year.
Steichen's offense ranked third in scoring (28.1 points per game) and third in yards (389.1 per game) this year, though Sirianni calls the plays.
Carolina also has requested an interview with Steichen.
