The Indianapolis Colts may soon be in the market for a defensive coordinator.
In 2017, the Indianapolis Colts defense was one of the worst in the NFL. They were ranked 30th in both yards allowed (367.1) and points allowed (25.3) per game.
Following that season, the Colts cleaned house of the previous coaching staff and was ready to start anew. Everyone remembers the initial plan to hire Josh McDaniels as the new head coach before he ultimately bailed on Indy and decided to remain with the New England Patriots.
However, before reneging on Indianapolis, McDaniels selected Matt Eberflus to join him in Indy as the defensive coordinator. When McDaniels left and Frank Reich eventually became the head coach, Eberflus stayed on as DC.
The Colts are happy he did, because Eberflus quickly turned one of the league’s worst defenses around, into one of the best.
In 2018, his first year as defensive coordinator, Indianapolis’ defense was 10th in points allowed and 11th in yards, drastically improving from the previous year’s ranking of 30.
In the Colts’ four seasons with Eberflus running the defense, Indianapolis has ranked 10th, 18th, 10th, and ninth in points allowed.
His ability to quickly turn around the defense and have them consistently perform above league average has made him a top candidate for head coaching positions.
Colts may lose Matt Eberflus to head coaching vacancies
Last offseason, Eberflus interviewed for three head coaching positions and nothing materialized. This cycle, Eberflus has been interviewing again and things are starting to heat up with a couple of franchises.
The #Bears are scheduling a second interview with #Colts DC Matt Eberflus next week, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2022
So Eberflus is now a finalist for two jobs: Jacksonville and Chicago. His Indy defense has been top-10 in many categories the past four years.
Eberflus has been named a finalist for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Chicago Bears, securing second interviews with both franchises. That brings the possibility of Indy losing Eberflus closer to reality.
If Eberflus is named a head coach, the Colts will have to begin a search for a new defensive coordinator. Fortunately, there’s a number of candidates with good experience that can step in and keep things rolling for the Indianapolis defense.
Here are 5 coaches the Colts could hire to replace Eberflus as defensive coordinator.