NFL Analysis Network

NFL Analyst Rips The Colts For Hiring Jeff Saturday As Coach

The Indianapolis Colts surprised a lot of people when they fired head coach Frank Reich on Monday afternoon. Reich was in his fifth season as head coach, going 40-33-1 during his tenure with the team. When looking at the quarterback situation that he dealt with, as Reich had a different starting quarterback each season in Week 1, it makes that record even more impressive.

While the Reich firing took people by surprise, the Colts shocked everyone when they named their interim head coach. Jeff Saturday, who has been an analyst with ESPN for the last few years, was named to the position.

This was a head-scratching decision as Saturday has no coaching experience above the high school level. He did spend 14 seasons in the NFL, playing in 211 games and starting 202 of them, but this is a decision that has stirred up some strong opinions.

Marcus Spears, a former NFL player himself and now current ESPN analyst is hoping for the best for Saturday, someone that he has worked with and who he likes. But, he is also wary of the precedent that this move is setting and the message it is sending to people who remain on the Colts’ staff and people around the league.

“I hope [Saturday] has success. … But ultimately this is a bad look for the Indianapolis Colts, and this is a bad look for the NFL.”

Spears is correct that there are coaches in that locker room that will be disappointed they were passed over for this opportunity. They have been working every day and know the ins and outs of the organization, yet they were passed over for someone who has been on TV more than on the sidelines.

Coaches are constantly auditioning for promotions and there was one available in Indianapolis, so being passed over will certainly make them feel some kind of way. The lack of opportunities for African American coaches is something Spears touched on and this will certainly be another black eye in that regard.

Even outside of the Colts, people work tirelessly and put in hours and hours of preparation to move up the coaching ranks. So, to see someone with the coaching resume of Saturday get one of only 32 jobs, albeit on an interim basis, is a slap in the face to those people. As Spears said, you can be happy for your friend in Saturday, yet still disappointed in the process that the Colts took to end up naming Saturday their interim head coach.

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