Chuck Pagano repeatedly said last week he would fight to keep his job as the Indianapolis Colts head coach.
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Pagano, 55, and the Colts dealt with adversity all season.
ESPN’s Mike Wells reported that the relationship between Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson had fallen apart, and that the team could have to fire one or the other, if not both, at the end of the season.
Questions about Chuck Pagano’s future as the coach of the Colts next season had many in Indianapolis speculating on Monday. Irsay shared that after meeting with Pagano and agreeing on the four-year extension, it was Pagano who insisted Grigson’s contract be extended to be in line with his. Pagano’s four-year contract that he signed in January 2012 was set to expire at the end of the 2015 league year. Outside Linebacker Robert Mathis has nothing but respect for his coach “I told him I love him”.
“Bill Polian has gone into the Hall of Fame”, Irsay said.
Pagano and Grigson expressed the same excitement, with Pagano calling it “absolutely the best day of my life”.
Colts owner Jim Irsay woke up Monday morning planning to give “careful consideration” to the future of his franchise.
Pagano led the Colts to the playoffs in his first three seasons in charge, advancing one step further each year, losing in the 2014 AFC championship game. Believe it or not, the Colts announced that they will bring back Grigson for the 2016 season.
“I think it’s important to be thoughtful and to lean on continuity when you can”. What about the head coach? “And we’ve had some good ones… but this one, you are going to look back on this one and say, ‘all the adversity, all the obstacles and you never quit'”.
The Colts beat the Titans in their final home game Sunday to finish the season at 8-8.
He may have done his most creative coaching the last two weeks when Indy (8-8) needed four quarterbacks to win both times.
“We’re always competing against ourselves, we know that”, Irsay said Monday night.
Meanwhile, Pagano was reflective in his postgame press conference and said he wouldn’t change a thing. “I’m just overcome with joy that a guy like himself, that we love and want to play for, a guy that stands for family, faith and football, got another shot”.
More notable Monday were the coaches and executives who kept their jobs.
“Grigson, he’s got to go”, Wilson said, “I’m not a fan of Grigson, he’s not the right fit for the Colts”. You know that. This is really his first taste of being sidelined, and it’s hard because he feels that I need to be there for the team, my teammates and all that stuff. “I don’t see any reason for change”.
“It was a great experience, definitely a whirlwind all around”, Josh Freeman said.
It was another tough day for Tennessee (3-13), which lost its second straight to secure the No. 1 overall draft pick.
There were early season rumors of a rift between Grigson and Pagano and the speculation became so intense, it appeared as if the two men could no longer co-exist.
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Pagano and Grigson have been at odds nearly all season.
