A surprising coordinator has emerged as a name to watch in Colts’ coaching search
With the Indianapolis Colts prepared to start a coaching search after the season, some names have already been connected to Indy.
Much about this season has been uncertain for the Indianapolis Colts but one thing is clear, once the regular season concludes (because Indy isn’t making the playoffs), the team will conduct a full coaching search. While it’s never a good thing to be looking for a new head coach, the Colts did pick the perfect hiring cycle to be a part of because there are several intriguing candidates that are expected to be the next wave of quality coaches in the league. However, one of the rumored names likely to end up in Indianapolis may come as a surprise.
In a recent piece for ESPN, NFL insider, Dan Graziano, reported that Leslie Frazier, the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, “has been brought up to me by more than one person lately as a name to watch for the Indianapolis Colts’ head-coaching position.” While Frazier definitely has Buffalo’s defense rocking, it’s slightly surprising that he could be atop Indy’s list because much of the excitement about the upcoming coaching class revolves around the younger coordinators seeking their first head coaching position.
Will the Colts hire Leslie Frazier to be head coach?
Frazier, 63 years old, has been coaching in the NFL since 1999 and was even with Indianapolis in 2005 and 2006 as a defensive assistant, defensive backs coach, and assistant head coach. Graziano expressed that Frazier definitely “has an ally in Tony Dungy, whose word carries some weight in Indy.” The Colts were Frazier’s last stop before he went to the Minnesota Vikings in 2007. With Minnesota, Frazier served as defensive coordinator until he became interim head coach in 2010.
In 2011, the Vikings removed the interim tag from Frazier and he was the team’s head coach until 2013. In his 54 games as head coach, Frazier accumulated a 21-32-1 record. Despite ultimately being fired by Minnesota, he remained employed in the league as a defensive coach. Since 2017, Frazier has led the dominant Bills defense.
Many believe Leslie Frazier is ready for his second chance at being a head coach but whether or not that’s with the Colts remains to be seen. It’ll be intriguing to see what direction Indianapolis wants to go in terms of if the franchise wants a defensive head coach or an offensive head coach. If the answer is a defensive coach, Frazier is definitely one of the top candidates alongside DeMeco Ryans. It’ll be an interesting process as the Colts search for their next leader.
