Colts hire Joe Philbin as offensive line coach

The Indianapolis Colts continued to make moves to improve the coaching staff today.

The Colts efforts to get better on the offensive line started this afternoon with the hiring of Joe Philbin to coach that unit. Philbin is the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Philbin spent the past four years as head coach of the Dolphins and has 13 years as an NFL head coach. Philbin was the first head coach to be fired this year, losing his job back in October. In his four years in Miami he compiled a 24-28 record.

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While he didn’t cut it as a head coach, Philbin is a very accomplished on the offensive side of the ball. He spent 2003-2011 with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive line coach and then offensive coordinator. Philbin was the play caller when the Packers won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season.

The Colts offensive line has been a mess the past four years and coaching certainly hasn’t helped. A number of players haven’t developed and others at times seem to lack technique (aside from an ability to hold).

While many point to the offensive line as the culprit of Andrew Luck‘s injuries, a lot of the blame falls on him. The least hit quarterbacks are those that get rid of the ball quickly (and slide when they scramble). That said, giving Luck a clean pocket to work in would certainly lead to greater success for the offense.

The Miami offensive lines haven’t been anything special over the past four years, but a lot of that has to do with a lack of talent and problems within the organization. Philbin has a long history of developing strong lines and when he’s able to focus on one specific position he should be able to improve it.

With more than 30 years of experience coaching, the Colts certainly found someone who can help the team going forwards.