Following the sudden passing of owner Jim Irsay on Wednesday, the Colts’ succession plan is now in the limelight.
All three of Irsay’s daughters have been listed as “vice chair/owner” for more than a decade, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the late owner’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, is expected to be the “new person in charge.”
ESPN’s Stephen Holder echoes this sentiment, noting that Irsay-Gordon has seemingly been preparing for this role for years. The 44-year-old once ran day-to-day operations while her father served his league-imposed suspension following a 2014 DUI arrest. Since then, she has reshaped “the business side of the franchise in terms of structure and personnel,” according to Holder.
Irsay-Gordon has also put in a concerted effort to understand every facet of the organization. Holder notes that she could often be seen on the sidelines wearing a headset to have “an up-close-and-personal view of coaches and players at work.” Those actions haven’t gone unnoticed.
“Carlie, specifically, will be the perfect modern-day owner,” a rival executive told Holder. “Carlie has been embedded in the business for probably over a decade at this point. She’s smart, a continuous learner, rigorously works to understand football from a scouting and coaching perspective.
“She also has the rare blend of appreciating tradition and professional expertise but not being bound by it because she is a progressive thinker. Very good people skills as well. She will be a great steward of the organization.”
Holder notes that two long-term executives are expected to help Irsay-Gordon with the transition. This exclusive grouping includes chief operating officer Pete Ward, who has spent more than four decades with the Colts, and chief legal officer Dan Emerson, who has been advising the family for nearly as long.
Holder adds that there are still a handful of unanswered questions surrounding the organizational hierarchy, specifically how much of a say the other sisters will have on major decisions. Casey Foyt has been working with the team for nearly 20 years, and she played a role in helping bring NFL games to London. Kalen Jackson joined the Colts a few years after her sisters, and she’s been responsible for leading many of her father’s mental health initiatives.
Jim Irsay saw a similar path through the ranks after his father, Bob Irsay, purchased the then-Baltimore Colts in 1972. Since Jim took over sole ownership following his father’s passing, he’s made it clear that the organization will remain in his family for years to come. Now, the time has come for his daughters to take the mantle.
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