Jeff Saturday served as interim coach for the Colts after Reich was fired and was one of several candidates to receive a second interview for the head coaching job.
Steichen becomes the 22nd head coach in the Colts’ 70-year history.
Indianapolis will use a rookie head coach to correct the course of a franchise that was struggling to find a stable replacement for Andrew Luck after the quarterback’s shocking retirement in 2019. The Colts have a 31-34 record with one playoff appearance (no playoff). wins) in the post-luck era.
Steichen, 37, has developed a couple of notable young QBs over the course of his 11-year NFL coaching career.
Before landing in Philadelphia, Steichen was the OC on a Chargers offense that produced Justin Herbert’s historic rookie season in 2020. Herbert’s 31 touchdowns, 396 completions, and 289.1 passing yards per game set all-time rookie records.
Steichen then played an integral role in developing another young QB the following season at Philly, helping lead Jalen Hurts to 3,928 offensive yards (3,144 passes, 784 rushing) and building the league’s No. 1 rushing offense, the earned a playoff berth under a freshman-year QB and rookie head coach in 2021.
The Eagles thrived in 2022 with upset hurts and stabs averaging 389.1 yards and 28.1 points per game while averaging the league’s best regular-season record (14-3). The No. 1-seeded Eagles maintained that dominance into the playoffs, scoring 30+ points in both wins, resulting in the franchise’s fourth NFC title.
In Super Bowl LVII, Philadelphia totaled 417 yards and 35 points in his loss.
Steichen will take charge of a Colts team that’s just a year away from producing the league’s second-best rushing offense in 2021. – is expected to be fully healthy after an injury-plagued 2022. Indianapolis is also taking on core pieces of defense in 2023.
Who will be QB in Steichen’s first season at Indy remains a question. Armed with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts are primed to pick a quarterback prospect after hiring who they hope will become one of the next great offensive heads in the NFL.