Are Colts Taking Too Long to Select Head Coach?

The Indianapolis Colts have a huge list of head coaching candidates and could conduct an unprecedented third round of interviews. Despite being thorough, are they taking too long?

On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Colts conducted a second interview with Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Many figured this would conclude the interviews and, maybe, there would be two or three finalists, finished by a selection within the following days.

However, instead of this, the Colts asked for their eighth interview in the second round in the form of Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who originally interviewed over two weeks ago on Jan. 14.

With this recent move, it’s beginning to appear like the Colts aren’t as close to a decision as previously thought.

Let’s get into why they should and shouldn’t be taking this long to pick the next head man. As always, let’s start with the negative.

Why They Shouldn’t Take So Long

Zach Hicks of the Horseshoe Huddle put it well, saying: “Obviously it’s still too early to get hyperbolic and say this but the longer you wait, the more likely it is that candidates will drop out. Even if Indy isn’t competing with anyone, you can’t leave a bunch of people in limbo with their livelihoods for too long.”

Obviously it’s still too early to get hyperbolic and say this but the longer you wait, the more likely it is that candidates drop out.

Even if Indy isn’t competing with anyone, you can’t leave a bunch of people in limbo with their livelihoods for too long https://t.co/ZFGVxlGeOm

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) February 2, 2023

This is the hard truth. Yes, the Colts can’t afford to make mistakes with the head coach and quarterback pairing (starting with the coach), but a third round of interviews paired with an eighth, second interview could be a bit much and may test the patience of the candidates that have entered the second wave of discussions.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard did say he’d be willing to go into mid-February if it was necessary. At first, that seemed like something you just tell the media at your season-ending press conference, but now, seeing it’s likely accurate, is a bit surprising.

With so many coaches in the mix, now, we will see if any decide the wait to have the chance to coach in Indy is too long and drop out to seek a spot on a team elsewhere. Now that we’ve seen why it’s a bad idea to have a lengthy process, let’s go to the other side and praise the patience of the Ballard way.

Why They Should Take This Long

Let’s go back to Week 9 of the NFL season for the Colts and you will see why there’s a chance Ballard is taking his time with the search. After a brutal loss to the New England Patriots, owner Jim Irsay decided to unceremoniously fire former head coach (now coach of the Carolina Panthers) Frank Reich over a phone call and replace him with former Colts center and Ring of Honor member Jeff Saturday.

This made no sense to many, as Saturday only had a small number of seasons coaching high school football. This led to the Colts becoming the laughing stock of headlines and news in the NFL, finishing 1-7 under Saturday with each loss being harder to swallow than the last.

Easily, this made Ballard pretty determined to nail down the right guy and never fall into this again. Ballard also likely realizes this is his last chance to make things work out, so he’s doing everything possible to avoid both situations, the former from happening again and the latter from being in the air around the Colts complex.

Either way, it’s refreshing to see something that isn’t reminiscing of the knee-jerk, frustrated decision to can a coach, mid-season, over a phone call, and, is rather, a patient, well-thought-out process to get the future of the team correct this time. It starts with the coach.

© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

What to Expect

Whether or not fans agree with the decision to potentially open up a third round of interviews or not, it is what it is and the Colts are taking their time.

The #Colts are nearly done with their second round of head coaching interviews and are considering a rare Round 3 as well, sources tell me and @RapSheet. If they go that route, they’d pare down the list to a select few finalists before making their decision on their next HC.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 2, 2023

Ballard wasn’t bluffing (as I thought he was) about taking potentially until the middle of February to find the right leader. It could be viewed as frustrating from a fan side of it, but reassuring from a future side of things. Irsay and Ballard don’t want this to screw up any more than the fans want them to, and it shows through how thoroughly they’re combing through their candidates.

We will see what develops as the search continues.

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