Colts Head Coaching Search Wish List: Marquand Manuel

Marquand Manuel has risen up the coaching ranks very quickly, and he could be in line to get his first head coaching job this offseason.

Résumé

Marquand Manuel played eight seasons in the NFL as a defensive back for five different teams playing in 116 career games from 2002 through 2009.

He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2012. Manuel was promoted to a defensive assistant position in 2013, and became Seattle’s assistant secondary coach in 2014.

He followed former Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Atlanta, and Quinn made Manuel his secondary coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Quinn promoted Manuel to the defensive coordinator position in 2017, and he has this Falcons defense looking like a playoff-caliber unit this season.

Is Manuel a Good Fit for the Colts?

Marquand Manuel has risen up the NFL coaching ranks at an astronomical rate, and there is no doubt that he will eventually become a head coach. Unfortunately, this particular opening in Indianapolis isn’t a great fit for Manuel.

Although Indianapolis totally bottomed out this season, the Colts are hoping for a quick return to the playoffs with a healthy Andrew Luck in 2018. Manuel is definitely a talented coach, but with only one season as a coordinator under his belt he might not have the right experience to lead a playoff team right away.

Next: Andrew Luck to Start Throwing, Could Need Surgery

Here are some other coaches who may get looked at for a possible coaching vacancy this offseason:

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