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.
Colts in-house options
There will be a lot of places Indy can turn to interview for a new defensive coordinator but the process can start in-house. The Colts already have a couple of coaches on staff that could be primed to step up and take over as defensive coordinator.
Hiring in-house keeps continuity within the system and also gives power to a coach that Indy’s players already have familiarity and comfort with.
Here are two possible candidates that could emerge from the current staff.
Colts could hire Alan Williams
Alan Williams returned to Indianapolis as a coach in 2018 with Reich and Eberflus. The last four seasons, he has served as Indy’s defensive backs coach.
Williams previously served as the Colts defensive backs coach from 2002-2011, so he is no stranger to Indianapolis or coaching its defense.
The majority of Williams’ 30-year coaching career has been coaching defensive backs but he did serve as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator from 2012-2013.
In 2012, the Vikings had the 15th-best defense, but in 2013 they dropped to the worst in the league. Williams and every other coach in Minnesota was fired that offseason.
With more knowledge and experience around quality defenses, Williams may be ready to accept the coordinator responsibility again.
Colts could hire Dave Borgonzi
Dave Borgonzi doesn’t have the experience that Williams does, but he is apart of the regime that came to Indianapolis in 2018. He has served as the linebackers coach the last four seasons.
What Borgonzi lacks in experience, he makes up for in having the best unit on Indy’s defense. The biggest catalyst to the defense’s turnaround has been linebacker play.
Drafting Darius Leonard in the second round of the 2018 draft helps a lot with that, but Indianapolis has gotten quality play out of all its linebackers. From Bobby Okereke to EJ Speed, this has been a strong unit.
Borgonzi could possibly parlay his time in the system and his work with the linebackers into being named as the new defensive coordinator.
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.
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