Colts QB Coach Gives Reason He Turned Down Jeff Saturday’s Play-Calling Role

It turns out that Saturday’s first choice for an offensive play-caller didn’t want the job.

When Jeff Saturday was hired and named Colts interim coach on Nov. 7, the NFL world collectively raised an eyebrow. Not only did Indianapolis hire someone with no NFL or college coaching experience, but just the week before, the team fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady. 

In need of someone to call offensive plays, Saturday named assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as his team’s play-caller. Frazier, who also serves as the Colts’ passing game specialist, had never held the position before and on Thursday it was revealed that he wasn’t Saturday’s first choice. 

Quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich told reporters that he turned down the opportunity to call plays for the rest of the season when Saturday asked him to take the role. 

“It just wasn’t the right situation for me or for the team,” Milanovich said, per The Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. 

Milanovich also added that Saturday “crushed” the team’s first meeting as interim coach and commended him after winning his first game on Sunday against the Raiders. 

“Jeff has done an amazing job and that’s undeniable,” he said, per The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. “I can’t think of a harder situation for a guy that hasn’t been in the building every day to come into.”

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