The Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich on Monday after a 3-5-1 start to the season that most recently saw the team get trounced 26-3 by the New England Patriots.
That was a bit surprising considering how solid Reich seemed in Indy entering the season, but given the Colts expected to contend and are now looking unlikely to reach the playoffs, it wasn’t a total shock. What was a shock was who they selected as their interim head coach, bypassing everyone on the coaching staff and instead hiring former center Jeff Saturday, whose only coaching experience is three years of high school ball in Georgia.
Saturday, who has been working as an ESPN analyst, was formally introduced on Monday night in a press conference alongside GM Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay, the latter of whom put on a performance from the ages in front of a microphone. First, he went out and said this about a man who was literally not on anyone’s radar for any coaching position in the NFL.
“We were fortunate that he was available.” -Colts owner Jim Irsay on interim head coach Jeff Saturday
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) November 8, 2022
From there, he was pressed on the Rooney Rule, accurately saying this abides by it but only because of a technicality in that interim coaching moves don’t have the same requirement to interview a minority candidate, as well as Irsay having no experience at the NFL or even college level. It was there that Irsay really got in his bag and explained that, actually, it’s good that Saturday has no experience in the NFL because he won’t coach with “fear” or be beholden to the always terrifying “analytics.”
Jim Irsay, on his new HC: “Yes, he is fully experienced enough. Yes, he is fully capable.”
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) November 8, 2022
Jim Irsay says of Jeff Saturday: “I’m glad he hasn’t had the NFL experience”.”
Because he hasn’t coached, Irsay says Saturday doesn’t have the fear that coaches often have and they often turn towards analytics for decision making.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 8, 2022
Irsay says he’s glad Saturday doesn’t have NFL coaching experience because those guys have “fear” and often lean on analytics: “He doesn’t have that fear. We were very fortunate he was available. He has tons of experience. He knows this game inside and out.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 8, 2022
Irsay wasn’t done, as he buried his entire coaching staff in the process of defending the Saturday hire when again asked about going off board with the selection.
Irsay on passing over his entire coaching staff for Saturday: “Because he’s a better fit. He’s the best man for the job. There’s no question about it in my mind and I’ve been around it a lot time.” Compares it to hiring Bruce Arians as an interim coach.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 8, 2022
Saturday, meanwhile, couldn’t believe he got hired either, joining the rest of the football world in that feeling.
Jeff Saturday on his reaction to getting asked to be the interim HC for the #Colts: “Shocked would be an understatement.”
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) November 8, 2022
Jeff Saturday says he asked Jim Irsay “Why am I a candidate for this?”
This press conference is pure gold.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 8, 2022
Other highlights from Irsay include something about not knowing how sausage is made and then noting that they do a “simple job”, that it’s not like they’re building a rocket to go to Mars, and something about Michael Jordan losing games.
“I don’t know how to make sausage. I don’t know what goes into sausage. But I do know how to build a football team.”
Let Jim Irsay talk for 45 minutes please
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 8, 2022
Irsay rolling now: “We don’t build rockets to go to Mars. … It’s a very simple job we do here.” https://t.co/XBpRPUxzIm
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 8, 2022
“Do you know how many games Michael Jordan lost?”
Jim Irsay immediately after saying how hard it is to win “in this league”
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 8, 2022
It really was a tour de force of wild defiance from Irsay, and while he’s right that the hire won’t face scrutiny for the Rooney Rule immediately, his comment that Saturday will be the coach for eight games and “hopefully more” was certainly eyebrow raising. This is clearly an audition, and if Saturday becomes the eventual full time choice (as it’s clear Irsay wants him to be), that quote would be Exhibit A in any potential complaint against the Colts hiring decision — which will be under the magnifying glass as the NFL is already facing a lawsuit from Brian Flores about the league’s hiring practices.