5 coaches Colts could hire as defensive coordinator if Matt Eberflus leaves
Colts external options
If Indianapolis wants to go outside of its facilities for a replacement, there are plenty of options. While there are a number of other team’s positional coaches who could be candidates, there are also a lot of big names.
Seeking external options gives Indy the possibility of finding someone with a lot of proven experience at the highest levels, but it also may cause a lot of change on the defense.
Colts could hire Vic Fangio
Vic Fangio was recently fired as head coach of the Denver Broncos. This could lead to Fangio returning to a defensive coordinator, the position where he gained prominence in the NFL.
Fangio has served as defensive coordinator for five different NFL franchises, and one was Indianapolis from 1999-2001. He has been apart of a lot of dominant defenses and is respected as a coordinator.
He could return to Indy and takeover this already solid defense and take them to the next level. One problem could be that the Colts currently run a 4-3 and Fangio traditionally uses 3-4 defenses.
Colts could hire Don “Wink” Martindale
Wink Martindale is another coach that was recently fired. He was the defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens from 2018-2021.
In his first three seasons, Baltimore was No. 2 in points allowed twice, and No. 3 the other year. In his fourth season, the defense plummeted to No. 19.
The Ravens suffered a lot of injuries, so they had an uncharacteristic down year. It was surprising to see the franchise move on from Martindale, but he became a coveted candidate on the market.
Martindale could be a great addition to Indy’s staff but his use of a 3-4 could also be called into question.
Colts could hire Mike Zimmer
After years of being on the hot seat with the Minnesota Vikings, Mike Zimmer has finally been fired as head coach. There’s a good chance that he now returns to being a defensive coordinator.
From 2000-2013, Zimmer was a defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals. It was his impressive work over that span that landed him the Vikings job.
Zimmer has a rich history of leading quality defenses and he traditionally runs a 4-3, so his coaching philosophy could easily mesh with Indy’s defensive personnel.
In order for one of these coaches to become the Colts new defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus has to accept a head coaching job. That hasn’t happened yet, but if it does, these are some of the options Indy could turn to.
