Frank Reich Inherits Defensive Line Coach for Colts Staff

Owner Jim Irsay, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts pose for a photo during the press conference introducing head coach Frank Reich at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Owner Jim Irsay, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts pose for a photo during the press conference introducing head coach Frank Reich at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 13, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Frank Reich didn’t get to hire his own defensive line coach, but he inherited a quality coach to work with the Colts’ defensive linemen.

The Colts thought they had an agreement in place for Josh McDaniels to become the next head coach in Indianapolis. However, McDaniels got cold feet, backed out of the agreement, and decided to return to Indianapolis.

The Colts had already hired a few assistant coaches to work on McDaniels’ staff, and one of those coaches was Mike Phair. The Colts will honor Phair’s contract, and he will be coaching the defensive linemen in Indianapolis next season.

According to the Colts’ website, Mike Phair has 13 years of coaching experience. He has seven years of experience as an NFL coach, and he’s also spent six years working as a scout in an NFL personnel department.

Phair spent time coaching for the Bears, Buccaneers, and Seahawks during his time in the NFL.

His most recent job was with the University of Illinois where he was the co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach in 2015, and he transitioned to the run game coordinator/defensive line coach position for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

General manager Chris Ballard has done a fantastic job of acquiring talent along the defensive line in his first year in the Colts’ front office, and he may be bringing in some more players for Phair to work with next season.

Next: An Optimistic Look at the Colts’ 2017 Season

Here are our profiles of the rest of the Colts’ new coaching staff:

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Offensive Coordinator

Defensive Coordinator

Special Teams Coach

Defensive Backs Coach

Wide Receivers Coach

Cornerbacks Coach

Linebackers Coach

Running Backs Coach

Tight Ends Coach

Director of Sports Performance

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