The Indianapolis Colts already lost their starting quarterback and left tackle after Philip Rivers and Anthony Castonzo announced their intentions to retire, and their once-lethal offense took another step in the wrong direction. One of the problems with creating a great culture is the fact that top assistants will routinely get poached by other teams, and the Colts felt how much that can sting when they lost a brilliant offensive coordinator in Nick Sirianni on Thursday.
Sirianni, who served as an understudy to Frank Reich in San Diego before becoming the Colts OC in 2018, was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving a humungous hole in the foundation of this team.
The Colts now have a position to fill at offensive coordinator.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 21, 2021
Internal candidates: QB coach Marcus Brady, who's already drawing interest from other teams, and WR coach Mike Groh, who's worked with Frank Reich both in Philly and now Indy.
External candidate: Doug Pederson.
Based purely on how qualified the rest of the gathered assistants are for the job, wide receivers coach Mike Groh should’ve been given Sirianni’s position as the offensive coordinator. While former QB coach Marcus Brady, who ended up getting the promotion, has plenty of impressive notes on his resume, Groh had a longer proven record of success.
Mike Groh should’ve replaced former Colts OC Nick Sirianni because of his familiarity with Frank Reich.
Groh, the son of former Jets and Virginia head coach Al Groh, spent the 2020 season as the wide receivers coach, where he helped TY Hilton improve after a down 2019 season while making Michael Pittman Jr. one of the best rookie receivers in the league. While it is somewhat concerning that he was fired as offensive coordinator by the Philadelphia Eagles after 2019, the 2020 season speaks to what a great job Groh did.
Not only did Carson Wentz take a major step back without Groh, as the Eagles fell from 9-7 to 4-11-1, but an offense that got to the postseason without a single receiver totaling 500 yards receiving looked completely out of sorts without him. Reich calls the plays, but Groh had a big hand in making Wentz a star, meaning he should be the first interview when it comes to filling Sirianni’s vacant spot.
Groh might not be the sexiest hire in the world, but it would’ve been the most efficient way to ensure that Reich’s offense remains largely unchanged in Indianapolis. Brady will have this offense working well, but Groh could’ve turned this group into one of the league’s best
Colts: Ranking the likelihood of Indy landing these QBs after Philip Rivers’ retirement
Ranking the likelihood of the Indianapolis Colts landing these quarterbacks after Philip Rivers announced his retirement.