Indianapolis Colts: Dark Horse Replacement for Chuck Pagano
By Erik Lambert
It’s no secret that Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is under the microscope this year. He’s battling against a lot of problems.
The team has a new GM in charge with Chris Ballard. Normally when that happens it doesn’t take long for the current coach to get fired. Then there’s the fact he hasn’t made the playoffs for two-straight seasons. In essence that means Pagano is backed up against the wall. Either he makes the playoffs in 2017 or there’s a strong chance he’s going to be fired next offseason.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report even went so far as to hint at a potential replacement. Somebody who might finally be ready to scratch that NFL itch after years of success in college.
"“Bob Stoops shocked the college football world with his sudden retirement last week. A retirement in June raises many questions, and maybe chief among them is if Stoops will now try to jump to the NFL.As long as I’ve been covering football, Stoops’ name has been connected to the NFL as a head coaching candidate. The most likely scenario is probably Stoops serving as a “senior adviser” to a team and then seeing if he likes the pace and style of the NFL.It’s worth noting Stoops has never coached for an NFL team and only left the Midwest for two years (1996-98) as the defensive coordinator at Florida. Maybe Chris Ballard, another hardcore Midwest guy, would consider him for the Indianapolis Colts job if Chuck Pagano doesn’t pan out?”"
It’s hard to argue against Stoops from a legacy standpoint. The man built a 190-43 career record while coaching at Oklahoma. He claimed multiple big bowl victories including a national championship in 2000. There really isn’t much left for him to accomplish in the sport. Save for an opportunity on the pro level. A lot of great college coaches felt they needed to give it a shot. Some with great success. Others not so much.
The Colts would make an ideal landing spot for him, being close to his home in the Chicago area. He’s known for building strong defenses and understanding how to develop a quarterback. Whether Ballard is willing to go that route is the big question. Everything depends on what happens this fall and winter.