Another day, another Colts interview. This time around, it’s Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who is interviewing for Indy’s head-coaching position. The organization’s head-coaching search may not be concluding any time soon, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the Colts might not name a head coach until after the Super Bowl.
Considering the breadth of Indy’s head-coaching search, it’s not a huge surprise that the process may take at least another week. The Colts initially interviewed a league-high 13 candidates for the position, and a good portion of those individuals ended up moving on to the second round. We heard earlier this week that the organization was considering a third round of interviews, but Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star says a third wave “is far from set in stone.” Erickson also points out that a team hasn’t conducted a third round of HC interviews in nearly four decades, meaning Indy’s search could be bordering on unprecedented.
“Be patient and take your time, and make sure we have a thorough interview with everybody,” GM Chris Ballard previously said of the search, via Erickson. “I don’t care if it takes until mid-February to hire the head coach. It’s about getting it right.”
It was assumed that the process was taking so long thanks in part to Jim Irsay‘s insertion into the second round of interviews; the team owner wasn’t involved in the initial wave of meetings. Albert Breer of The MMQB adds that Irsay has spent one-on-one time with the current candidates, and the current round has been described as “creative” and long, with some interviews lasting up to 12 hours.
As our 2023 NFL head-coaching search tracker shows, there are currently 10 candidates who have either conducted a second interview or been mentioned as a finalist. This doesn’t include Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who has decided to stay in Dallas.
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed Jan. 12; in finalist mix
- Rich Bisaccia, special teams coordinator (Packers): Completed second interview
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Conducted second interview Feb. 1
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Conducted second interview Jan. 26
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Completed second interview Feb. 2
- Don Martindale, defensive coordinator (Giants): Conducted second interview
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview Jan. 27
- Jeff Saturday, interim head coach (Colts): Conducted second interview Jan. 25
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To conduct second interview Feb. 4
- Bubba Ventrone, special teams coordinator (Colts): Interviewed Jan. 11; in finalist mix
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