The First Seasons of the Last 4 Colts HC's

[MarylandTerrapin]

What do they have in common?

 

Each of those teams made the postseason - 2002, 2009, 2012, and 2018

 

Shane Steichen - 2023 - to be determined

[MarylandTerrapin]

Hopefully, this will become a thread that ages well.

[Smonroe]

Well, you're a little off.  The last Colts HC didn't make the playoffs.

 

But he didn't have Peyton or Luck, poor guy.

[MarylandTerrapin]

4 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Well, you're a little off.  The last Colts HC didn't make the playoffs.

 

But he didn't have Peyton or Luck, poor guy.

 

I'm not counting interim HCs, just new HCs who actually began the season.  I'll meet you halfway and say this though, if Frank was fired after that season ending loss to the Jags and Saturday was hired as the new HC in the off-season, we still would have stunk in 2022.

[MarylandTerrapin]

Laugh all you want, but this thread has aged well, for now.

[GoColts8818]

So clearly if the Colts lose Saturday Shane needs to be fired because he’s a bum 

[chad72]

So don’t judge too quickly, is the theme. Out of all those 4 instances, only 1 (Dungy) had a second season with a playoff win. That’s where an HC earns his keep, IMO, with not just a flash in the pan season.

[jemack]

I know it says Last 4, but I'll give a shout out to Marchibroda in '75 and Meyer's 1st full season in '87 for having big playoff season turnarounds.

That said, none of these coaches have done more with so little as what SS has done. IMO, of course.

[atapcl]

Even if the Colts lose Saturday I believe SS is going to be one of the best Colts’ coaches ever. I believe the Eagles are feeling the effects of losing him.

[lollygagger8]

Wait, Jeff Saturday didn't make playoffs ....

 

[Superman]

7 hours ago, chad72 said:

So don’t judge too quickly, is the theme. Out of all those 4 instances, only 1 (Dungy) had a second season with a playoff win. That’s where an HC earns his keep, IMO, with not just a flash in the pan season.

 

Pagano as well. The 2013 Colts beat the Chiefs in the wild card round, that was the ridiculous comeback. And then they won two playoff games the next season. 

 

Agreed with the bolded, though. There's usually 5-7 new teams in the playoffs every year, so breaking into the postseason once isn't that high of a bar to clear. 

[MarylandTerrapin]

3 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

Wait, Jeff Saturday didn't make playoffs ....

 

I hate to break it to you, but Saturday never started the season as a new HC, and for that matter, he wasn't really a HC anyway.  He was paid consultant plain & simple that Irsay hired to find out who was actually worthy on the team.  Saturday was no different than the "two Bobs" on Office Space.  Jeff was never going to get a f/t HC gig with the Colts.

[lollygagger8]

1 hour ago, MarylandTerrapin said:

I hate to break it to you, but Saturday never started the season as a new HC, and for that matter, he wasn't really a HC anyway.  He was paid consultant plain & simple that Irsay hired to find out who was actually worthy on the team.  Saturday was no different than the "two Bobs" on Office Space.  Jeff was never going to get a f/t HC gig with the Colts.

Hate to break it to ya, but...

 

 

 

I won't even comment on the rest of what you posted LOL 

 

 

[EasyE]

I'm going to have to say it would have been hard for any coach too choke with Peyton and Luck. Shane has proved his worth with way less IMO

[Smonroe]

1 hour ago, EasyE said:

I'm going to have to say it would have been hard for any coach too choke with Peyton and Luck. Shane has proved his worth with way less IMO

 

For Tony and Caldwell, the teams were pretty well set and ready to win. 

 

But the 2012 season was pretty special.  Coming off a 2 win season to making the playoffs isn't a walk in the park (Yeah, I know about Houston).   Both show how a great QB can turn around a team.

 

I still think if Arians didn't miss the playoff game they may have upset the Super Bowl winner.  Moot point.

[EasyE]

25 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

 

For Tony and Caldwell, the teams were pretty well set and ready to win. 

 

But the 2012 season was pretty special.  Coming off a 2 win season to making the playoffs isn't a walk in the park (Yeah, I know about Houston).   Both show how a great QB can turn around a team.

 

I still think if Arians didn't miss the playoff game they may have upset the Super Bowl winner.  Moot point.

No argument here. But if anyone thinks Shane as not made a improvement to this team because he didn't make playoffs his first year is just a dumb statement. At least he has been 5th coach with a winning record. What ever happened in the past has nothing to do with Shane.

[EasyE]

Saturday would have won with Peyton and Luck think about how bad that could have been. Would have put up 45 points a game just to compete or win. lmao

[MarylandTerrapin]

15 hours ago, EasyE said:

No argument here. But if anyone thinks Shane as not made a improvement to this team because he didn't make playoffs his first year is just a dumb statement. At least he has been 5th coach with a winning record. What ever happened in the past has nothing to do with Shane.

I think we can all agree that a big difference over Reich is that Shane brought accountability to the team.  Shane made an immediate impression on me when he wasted no time in cutting Jackson after his 2 fumbles that contributed to the loss in the season opener.  He's tough on his players and makes them accountable, and in turn, he gets the most out of them.  That's the mark of a solid coach...and a solid leader.