Colts hire Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator
The Indianapolis Colts have found a new defensive coordinator in long-time coach Gus Bradley.
After one week, the Indianapolis Colts have hired a new defensive coordinator, bringing Gus Bradley to Indy. Bradley joins the Colts’ staff after serving one year as defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders.
When Matt Eberflus left Indianapolis to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Indy’s defensive coordinator spot became one of the most coveted coaching positions in the league.
The Colts allowed their in-house replacement options to go with Eberflus to Chicago after deciding to hire externally. Just one week and a few interviews later, the search is over.
The #Colts are, in fact, hiring Gus Bradley as DC. https://t.co/B5aKGatRZR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 5, 2022
Gus Bradley takes over the Colts defense
Bradley is no stranger to the AFC South. He served as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach from 2013 to 2016. In those four seasons, Bradley had a coaching record of 14-48.
While his time in Jacksonville wasn’t glamorous, Bradley has a respected resume as a defensive coordinator. He rose to prominence as the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012.
Bradley was instrumental in the development of the Legion of Boom, leading one of the league’s best defenses for four seasons. It was his work with Seattle that earned him the head coaching job for the Jaguars.
Following his stint as a head coach, Bradley returned to being a coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2017-2020. In two of those four seasons, Los Angeles had top-10 defenses.
Bradley has coached talented linebackers like Bobby Wagner and Denzel Perryman and has worked with numerous elite defensive backs from the Legion of Boom to Derwin James.
That experience should excite Colts fans about the ways Bradley can employ players like Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore, and Julian Blackmon.
Bradley traditionally runs a 4-3 defense, which is already Indianapolis’ base formation, so there shouldn’t be much adjustment there. Bradley and the defense should be able to hit the ground running, preparing to become a more dominant unit.
