The Indianapolis Colts have had some incredible coaches... and also, some truly horrid coaches in their history, especially during their last decade in Baltimore. However, none of them can even hold a candle to the most destructive force in franchise history. Frank Kush stands the test of time as the worst coach in Colts history.
When Kush was brought in, the Colts were fresh off a 2-14 season under Mike McCormack in what was the last, fleeting gasps of Bert Jones' career. Kush was brought in to install discipline and turn this team around after a very successful college career in charge of Arizona State.
What happened was not only so bad that his win-loss record forever consigns him to the great Colts graveyard, but his aura was so negative and poisonous that he was the driving reason behind the most infamous decision in franchise history. Looking back on the Kush era makes him look worse.
Frank Kush is the worst coach in Indianapolis Colts history
Kush's tenure with the Sun Devils is akin to Bob Knight's time in Indiana. He was a legendary coach (their home field is named Kush Field) who turned them into a national powerhouse during a 20-season tenure, but he left under acrimonious circumstances due to his temper. Kush has been called the most polarizing figure in college football history.
Verbal and physical abuse from Kush, who was hired as coach a half-decade after a stint in the US Army, was accepted as a given. Injured players were not allowed to be assisted from the field, practices were often conducted in the 100-degree Arizona heat, and water was rarely allowed.
Two of his more infamous drills stood out. The "Bull in the Ring" drill involved one player standing in a circle with every other teammate around him. Kush would call a uniform number, and the two players would charge at one another at full speed. Whoever was "dogging it" would stay in the middle of the circle.
Kush would also make the offense run plays without an offensive line, save the center, to get players used to the punishment they would take during games. Kush makes Bill Belichick look like Mother Teresa in comparison.
What ultimately got him fired was an altercation with punter Kevin Rutledge. Rutledge sued the school for $1 million, claiming Kush punched him in the mouth following a bad punt. Kush was ultimately fired for trying to interfere with the investigation.
Colts coach Frank Kush left Arizona State in disgrace
The Colts were willing to overlook all of those neon-red flags, as Kush's 176-54 record with what was a poorly funded program at the time was deemed more important. Kush, who had coached one year with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, was hired as head coach in 1982, and things immediately took a turn for the ghoulish.
Kush brought the same daunting style of coaching from his college days to the professional ranks, which led to several long-time veterans disliking the amount of contact he mandated in practice. When paired with a terrible roster, things got worse very quickly.
The Colts had two of the first four picks in the draft, which were used on extremely average linebacker Johnie Cooks and quarterback Art Schlichter. Schlichter's infamous story is worthy of a full-length Hollywood movie, as he threw just three career touchdown passes and was arrested scores of times for various gambling, drug, and financial-related crimes.
Kush also drafted his old ASU quarterback, Mike Pagel, in the fourth round. Pagel, who would play for 11 seasons as a backup and spot-starter, was named the starting quarterback, and it was a disaster.
Frank Kush oversaw a winless 1982 Colts season
In a strike-shortened season that limited Baltimore to nine games, the Colts went winless at 0-8-1, becoming one of just four post-merger teams not to win a game all year long. While the 26th-ranked defense was bad, Kush's 28th-ranked offense averaged just over 12 points per game.
Colts quarterbacks (Pagel started all nine games) threw just six touchdowns all season long. As a team, Baltimore found the end zone just 10 times on offense in nine games. The pot of gold at the end of this drab rainbow was the promise of landing John Elway in the 1983 NFL Draft.
Elway remains one of the greatest NFL Draft prospects in history, and he parlayed that hype into a no-doubt Hall of Fame career. Elway's supreme athletic ability and rocket arm would have given the Colts a franchise savior, but he refused to play for them. Elway was more willing to play baseball in the New York Yankees' minor league system than play for Kush.
Elway's father, Jack Elway, was a college coach at San Jose State (and later Stanford) who competed against Kush regularly. The Elway family despised Kush, and was well aware of his reputation as a taskmaster who abuses his players.
Frank Kush cost the Colts John Elway
The Colts were eventually forced to trade Elway to the Denver Broncos, with whom he would win two Super Bowls. Baltimore did well to land some players in return, including top offensive lineman Chris Hinton, but the franchise didn't recover from this misstep for over a decade.
The 1983 season moved on after the Elway trade. Kush started off 6-4, but he lost five games in a row after that and fell out of the playoff picture. After getting 1,900 yards on the ground between Curtis Dickey and Randy McMillan, Pagel's passing let them down once again.
After the franchise's infamous overnight move to Indianapolis, Kush's hold on the team fell by the wayside. Another 4-11 start ultimately led to Kush being fired...except that he wasn't. He quit of his own accord. He coached the Arizona Outlaws of the USFL, who played in Sun Devil Stadium.
Kush's coaching career ended after that day, but the unfortunately indelible mark that he left on the Colts will never truly wash off.
The Indianapolis Colts have had some incredible coaches... and also, some truly horrid coaches in their history, especially during their last decade in Baltimore. However, none of them can even hold a candle to the most destructive force in franchise history. Frank Kush stands the test of time as the worst coach in Colts history.
When Kush was brought in, the Colts were fresh off a 2-14 season under Mike McCormack in what was the last, fleeting gasps of Bert Jones' career. Kush was brought in to install discipline and turn this team around after a very successful college career in charge of Arizona State.
What happened was not only so bad that his win-loss record forever consigns him to the great Colts graveyard, but his aura was so negative and poisonous that he was the driving reason behind the most infamous decision in franchise history. Looking back on the Kush era makes him look worse.
Frank Kush is the worst coach in Indianapolis Colts history
Kush's tenure with the Sun Devils is akin to Bob Knight's time in Indiana. He was a legendary coach (their home field is named Kush Field) who turned them into a national powerhouse during a 20-season tenure, but he left under acrimonious circumstances due to his temper. Kush has been called the most polarizing figure in college football history.
Verbal and physical abuse from Kush, who was hired as coach a half-decade after a stint in the US Army, was accepted as a given. Injured players were not allowed to be assisted from the field, practices were often conducted in the 100-degree Arizona heat, and water was rarely allowed.
Two of his more infamous drills stood out. The "Bull in the Ring" drill involved one player standing in a circle with every other teammate around him. Kush would call a uniform number, and the two players would charge at one another at full speed. Whoever was "dogging it" would stay in the middle of the circle.
Kush would also make the offense run plays without an offensive line, save the center, to get players used to the punishment they would take during games. Kush makes Bill Belichick look like Mother Teresa in comparison.
What ultimately got him fired was an altercation with punter Kevin Rutledge. Rutledge sued the school for $1 million, claiming Kush punched him in the mouth following a bad punt. Kush was ultimately fired for trying to interfere with the investigation.
Colts coach Frank Kush left Arizona State in disgrace
The Colts were willing to overlook all of those neon-red flags, as Kush's 176-54 record with what was a poorly funded program at the time was deemed more important. Kush, who had coached one year with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, was hired as head coach in 1982, and things immediately took a turn for the ghoulish.
Kush brought the same daunting style of coaching from his college days to the professional ranks, which led to several long-time veterans disliking the amount of contact he mandated in practice. When paired with a terrible roster, things got worse very quickly.
The Colts had two of the first four picks in the draft, which were used on extremely average linebacker Johnie Cooks and quarterback Art Schlichter. Schlichter's infamous story is worthy of a full-length Hollywood movie, as he threw just three career touchdown passes and was arrested scores of times for various gambling, drug, and financial-related crimes.
Kush also drafted his old ASU quarterback, Mike Pagel, in the fourth round. Pagel, who would play for 11 seasons as a backup and spot-starter, was named the starting quarterback, and it was a disaster.
Frank Kush oversaw a winless 1982 Colts season
In a strike-shortened season that limited Baltimore to nine games, the Colts went winless at 0-8-1, becoming one of just four post-merger teams not to win a game all year long. While the 26th-ranked defense was bad, Kush's 28th-ranked offense averaged just over 12 points per game.
Colts quarterbacks (Pagel started all nine games) threw just six touchdowns all season long. As a team, Baltimore found the end zone just 10 times on offense in nine games. The pot of gold at the end of this drab rainbow was the promise of landing John Elway in the 1983 NFL Draft.
Elway remains one of the greatest NFL Draft prospects in history, and he parlayed that hype into a no-doubt Hall of Fame career. Elway's supreme athletic ability and rocket arm would have given the Colts a franchise savior, but he refused to play for them. Elway was more willing to play baseball in the New York Yankees' minor league system than play for Kush.
Elway's father, Jack Elway, was a college coach at San Jose State (and later Stanford) who competed against Kush regularly. The Elway family despised Kush, and was well aware of his reputation as a taskmaster who abuses his players.
Frank Kush cost the Colts John Elway
The Colts were eventually forced to trade Elway to the Denver Broncos, with whom he would win two Super Bowls. Baltimore did well to land some players in return, including top offensive lineman Chris Hinton, but the franchise didn't recover from this misstep for over a decade.
The 1983 season moved on after the Elway trade. Kush started off 6-4, but he lost five games in a row after that and fell out of the playoff picture. After getting 1,900 yards on the ground between Curtis Dickey and Randy McMillan, Pagel's passing let them down once again.
After the franchise's infamous overnight move to Indianapolis, Kush's hold on the team fell by the wayside. Another 4-11 start ultimately led to Kush being fired...except that he wasn't. He quit of his own accord. He coached the Arizona Outlaws of the USFL, who played in Sun Devil Stadium.
Kush's coaching career ended after that day, but the unfortunately indelible mark that he left on the Colts will never truly wash off.