3 things Shane Steichen must immediately address in order to be successful with Colts

2. Shane Steichen must address the culture of the Colts

One of the reasons Frank Reich was reportedly fired by Indianapolis is because he didn’t have the kind of fire that Jim Irsay wanted in a head coach. That’s also the reason why Irsay loved Saturday and gave him the interim coaching role. Irsay knew that Jeff Saturday would hold everyone accountable and bring a level of passion that demanded excellence throughout the organization. During the transition from Reich to Saturday, it quickly became clear how much that was the case.

Several Colts players highlighted how much they appreciated Saturday’s commitment to accountability and his passion to make sure everyone was doing everything right. The loudest voice of those players was star linebacker, Shaquille Leonard. Just recently, Leonard detailed that he loved Saturday’s confrontational style that held everyone accountable and explained that it’s what the Colts needed to truly be successful.

Leonard explained that whoever was hired needed to have those qualities so that the team could have a better culture that can be passed down from the coaches to the leaders to everyone on the roster. Shane Steichen must be prepared to do that.

Talent and scheme are certainly important, but a great team culture is often the difference between just being good and being great enough to achieve the team’s goals. Adam Vinatieri explained that culture was one of the biggest reasons the New England Patriots and Colts had success during his career. Surely, Jim Irsay made this a criterion in the coaching search and it appears Steichen is checking the box.

During his introductory press conference, he explained how important it is to hold everyone accountable every day and to never let anything slide. If he can build this culture with the Colts, they will be able to get the most out of their talent.