Insider: Swing for the fences or go safe? 10 names for Colts to consider for head coach

The Indianapolis Colts have four games left. Then they'll really get moving on a coaching search.

They are halfway through the Jeff Saturday interim experience and have a 1-3 record in those games. He calls this his audition for the role, and the Colts are committing to do an extensive search to replace a coach in Frank Reich who went 40-33-1.

Here are 10 candidates worth consideration:

'Not even close to bitter.' Frank Reich back in Indy for first time since fired by Colts.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan head coach

Jim Harbaugh's name continues to circulate around the NFL about a potential return. He promised last week to return to Michigan in 2023, but he's shown interest in recent years about a possible return to the pros. His NFL resume is fantastic, as he reached three straight NFC Championship games with the 49ers and went 44-19-1. His college resume is catching up, as he's now 132-51 overall and coming off back-to-back Big Ten championships for Michigan, a team he molded into his identity of toughness and physicality.

Harbaugh, 58, is in the Colts' Ring of Honor, and it's no secret owner Jim Irsay is interested in his former players. His teams play a rugged style of controlled violence in the trenches, which is what Irsay has longed for to match some of Mike Vrabel's Titans teams. The fit here is strong, except that Harbaugh can afford to be choosy and ask for personnel control, and the Colts don't have a quarterback plan to present him.

Dan Quinn, Cowboys defensive coordinator

In last week's loss to the Cowboys, the Colts just got an up-close view of what's making Dan Quinn one of the big names on the coaching carousel. The 52-year-old has remade the Dallas defense from a bottom-rung unit into the best sacking team in the NFL, built around Micah Parsons' explosive skillset and Quinn's ability to disguise and move him. Add in the Super Bowl he reached as a head coach with the Falcons, where he went 46-44 including the playoffs, and he could be primed for a second run.

Quinn runs the same style of defense Gus Bradley also learned from Pete Carroll in Seattle. Hiring Quinn could build on a strong defensive system. His plans at offensive coordinator should drive this conversation. He also could have options, given his strong reputation as a leader. A tricky dynamic would be inhering a 38-year-old Matt Ryan, whom he took to a Super Bowl in Atlanta.

Jeff Saturday, Colts interim coach

You'd have to think Irsay will consider Saturday almost regardless of how this finishes out. He loves his former five-time Pro Bowl center, and he said he wouldn't have fired Reich if Saturday hadn't been immediately available to take the job. His experience level means nothing to Irsay, who badly wants his offensive line fixed and his team a little tougher. He saw the 47-year-old Saturday as a solution to both.

Saturday's entire experience above high school is this eight-game stretch as the interim. He's trying to earn the trust of a Colts roster that's been through plenty of change, as well as tinker with that offensive line so he has a chance to win games. If he can get the offense moving somewhere in these final four games, it's possible Irsay will like what he sees. Saturday is the one candidate we can be sure is available and interested.

Demeco Ryans, 49ers defensive coordinator

If the Colts like the idea of Quinn but want to bet on perhaps more upside, they could look to Demeco Ryans. Ryans was a Pro Bowl player in the AFC South with the Texans and now runs one of the elite defenses in the game. Ryans took over a talented unit coming off a Super Bowl and has had the 49ers in the top seven of the league in both seasons, according to Football Outsiders.

Ryans runs the Seattle-style defense the Colts are thriving in now. Just 38, this would be a bet on upside, a shot at the next Vrabel, with a former linebacker who can transform the identity of a team. Last year, he turned down a second interview with the Vikings, and that place had a quarterback. His spot as Kyle Shanahan's defensive coordinator will allow him to be choosy again if he wishes.

Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers offensive coordinator

The Colts will need to draft a quarterback of the future, which turns the immediate focus to getting the most out of that position. Infrastructure and a scheme that can evolve with him are integral components. So the Colts could stay with the former quarterbacks and look at Byron Leftwich, 42, who has a few things they'll surely like: a Super Bowl ring as a coordinator, play-calling experience and time spent with Tom Brady and Bruce Arians.

Leftwich was said to be choosy last year with the Jaguars, so it's possible the Colts aren't at the top of his list either. The Buccaneers are not succeeding the same way since Arians retired, dropping from first in DVOA to 16th this season, and Tom Brady has control of that offense that you would never give to a rookie.

Jim Caldwell, former Colts coach

Anything is on the table right now with Irsay, who isn't putting parameters on any of this. What's obvious is he is desperate to restore some of the pride the Colts had in the 2000s, so maybe he looks at one of is former head coaches. Caldwell went 26-22 with the Colts from 2008-2010, reaching a Super Bowl one year and going 2-14 without Peyton Manning in his last. He succeeded in his second stop in Detroit, going 35-28, though he did not win a playoff game.

Caldwell is 67, and this is going to be a rebuild. He'd have to trust Irsay to let him run the team, including the most important position, the one that has gotten Caldwell so many jobs. This method could be a way to retain Saturday, either as an assistant coach or as a member of the front office.

Brian Flores, Steelers defensive assistant

If the Colts try to swing opposite of Reich, they could land on an energetic, young defensive mind who also has head coaching experience. Flores, 41, went 24-25 with the Dolphins and won nine and 10 games his final two years before he got fired for what he claims was a refusal to tank for draft picks.

It's hard to project any kind of market for Flores, but it's easy to see him having concerns with the Colts given his still-present battle with Dolphins ownership. They could also have concerns about his unstable management of Tua Tagovailoa, who has broken out after Flores' firing.

Steve Wilks, Panthers interim coach

Plenty is on the table when we don't yet know who will be making this hire. If it's Chris Ballard's call, he could look to one of his trusted former coaches to right the ship. Wilks is doing a solid job of that with the Panthers right now, as he has them 3-4 and competitive without a quarterback. He went 3-13 in his one season as Cardinals coach in 2018. Wilks was the Bears' secondary coach in 2006-2008 when Ballard was in their front office, so he could make for a comfortable hire.

The question is how a 53-year-old defensive coach will help solve the riddle at quarterback. His offensive coordinator choice would be everything.

Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator

Another Ballard connection has been helping lead the NFL's best offense for years. Bieniemy has seen his names on lists like these since 2018, when the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes and turned him into a superstar. Bieniemy, 53, has been the offensive coordinator all that while, but it's Andy Reid's offensive system and he calls the plays, so there's always some question with Bieniemy. He has gained a number of interviews without getting hired yet. He's also always interviewing while the Chiefs are in the middle of a playoff run.

If the Colts want to take a swing on a high-upside dual-threat quarterback in the draft, it'd be worth hiring someone with experience in cultivating that.

Sean Payton, former Saints coach

The candidate so many eyes will turn to is undoubtedly Sean Payton. The man who helped Drew Brees to a Hall-of-Fame worthy career and won a Super Bowl with the Saints is working as an analyst and clearly biding his time to find the best opening out there. Payton, 58, is expected to want control of the roster and the knowledge that his owner won't interfere. The understanding is he left the Saints in part because they didn't have a quarterback, so it will be a stretch for the Colts to win this bidding war.

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Colts news: 10 head coach candidates to consider for 2023