Here’s a very small indication of just how hectic things are in the NFL at the end of the regular season. Late last week, the news broke that Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach Charlie Partridge was leaving for a similar job at Notre Dame. The item was reported in the local press, but perhaps since Partridge was not even leaving the state of Indiana, it didn’t cause much of a stir.
Nothing unusual so far. It is a little bit odd that a veteran like Partridge would leave the NFL for a parallel position in college, but hey, it’s Notre Dame. That’s practically the NFL, right?
Here’s the odd part. I am writing this five days after the news broke and neither team – not the Colts nor the Fighting Irish – have updated their web pages with the news. If you look at the Colts' coaches pages, it still touts the achievements of Charlie Partridge. And on the Fight Irish coaches' page, Al Washington is still listed as the defensive line coach.
Well, since it’s Notre Dame, Washington is listed as the “Peter Schivarelli Defensive Line Coach.”
Colts need a new defensive coach after Partridge leaves for a college gig
Washington is in fact shifting over to coach the linebackers at South Bend in place of Max Bullough, opening the spot for Partridge.
For Partridge, the NFL proved to be a very brief way station on his highly successful college coaching journey. He came to the Colts last year to take over for Nate Ollie. He inherited a unit with a lot of veterans, especially on the interior. His primary job that first year was to help with the development of first-round draft pick Laiatu Latu. Partridge deserves a lot of credit for that.
Latu had a very solid rookie season and then built on it in his second year, becoming one of the Colts’ best defensive players. He is clearly one of the foundational pieces of the team moving forward.
Things didn’t work out nearly as well for 2025 second-rounder JT Tuimoloau. Despite the dire need for pass pressure, Tuimolaou saw minimal action, ending with just seventeen tackles and zero sacks during his rookie campaign.
Apart from those two young players, it is difficult to judge Partridge’s contribution during his two seasons with the Colts. Veteran tackles Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner maintained their strong play.
Edge Kwity Paye continued to be a solid all-around performer, but never unlocked any latent pass-rushing ability. In short, it was hard to see much difference in the veteran’s performances under Partridge.
Now Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will be looking for a new defensive line coach. Matt Raich has been with the team for six seasons and has a wealth of experience coaching defenses.
He served as Partridge’s assistant in 2025 and has held a variety of positions in college and the pros dating back thirty years. But he has never risen higher than an assistant position coach in the NFL.
Marion Hobby, who recently took the defensive line coaching position at Arkansas, might be of interest. He coached under Anarumo with the Bengals for three seasons and has almost ten seasons as a defensive line coach in the NFL on his resume. He focused specifically on defensive ends – something the Colts would seem to really need – for much of that time.
Nick Eason, who came to Cincinnati with Anarumo in 2019 and who coached the defensive line under him for a couple of years before moving to the college ranks, could also be in the mix. He has most recently served as Dabo Sweeny’s associate head coach at Clemson, while still coaching interior defensive linemen.
Those are just guesses at the moment. Though Steichen probably wants to check off this box sooner rather than later, it is not as imperative to fill the position as it is for the NFL teams that are currently seeking coordinators and head coaches.
Chances are, the Colts will hire a Charlie Partridge replacement once the dust settles from the recent flurry of activity at the top of the coaching food chain.
And then maybe Indianapolis and Notre Dame will get around to updating their team web pages.