Colts Focused on Hiring Eagles OC Shane Steichen As Head Coach, per Report

After a lengthy interview process, owner Jim Irsay reportedly has found a new leader for the franchise.

The Colts have targeted Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to be the franchise’s next head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning. 

Indianapolis has informed other candidates for the job that the club is planning to move forward with Steichen, per Schefter, as the Philadelphia assistant prepares for Super Bowl LVII on Sunday evening. After an exhaustive interview process and a successful season leading the Eagles’ high-powered offense, the 37-year-old Steichen apparently will get an opportunity to take charge of a team of his own.

The Colts and Steichen will not be able to agree to a deal until after the Super Bowl, but they plan to meet later this week with the intention of striking a deal. If the hire does become official, Steichen would become the second Eagles offensive coordinator to be hired by the Colts as head coach, after Indianapolis brought aboard Frank Reich following Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl in the 2017 season.

Steichen has coached in the NFL for the past 12 years, making previous stops with the Chargers and Browns. However, his breakthrough came with the Eagles, where he’s served as the offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. 

In 2022, Steichen oversaw an offense that ranked third in the regular season in both yards per game (389.1) and points per game (28.1). Quarterback Jalen Hurts finished as the runner-up for the NFL’s MVP award after a career-best campaign, and the Eagles had six offensive players selected to the Pro Bowl. 

The Colts are coming off a forgetful season, having fired Reich after a 3-5-1 start and ultimately finishing with a 4-12-1 record under interim coach Jeff Saturday, an ESPN analyst and former franchise center in Indianapolis. Saturday, a six-time Pro Bowler, was hired with no collegiate or professional coaching experience.

Saturday’s lone win came against the Raiders in his first game at the helm, but he and the Colts would go on to lose the next seven games to close out the season. For its pitfalls, the team netted the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft.