But, unlike Coughlin, Pagano’s firing seems imminent as he meets with Colts owner Jim Irsay on Monday morning. Pagano, who turned down a one-year extension last offseason, got a four-year contract.
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The Colts announced Monday night that they have agreed to a contract extension with Pagano, who has been the team’s head coach since 2012.
It worked for Coach Chuck Pagano, whose job has been considered on a shaky status, but the Colts effort to tie Houston for the division title fell short as the Texans whipped Jacksonville 30-6.
You certainly want to believe Irsay made this decision on merit, and wasn’t swayed by Pagano’s last-ditch high-pressure sales pitch, or by the coach’s popularity with his players and fans.
Rumors of Pagano’s sack were circulating Sunday, after the Colts (8-8) ended their season without going to the playoffs for the first time during Pagano’s tenure with the team. After a season from hell that began as a Super Bowl-or-bust mission, but was blown off track when Luck suffered a lacerated kidney among other injuries, Irsay knew better than to blow it up and start over again.
Irsay went so far as to compare the last four seasons with the first four years of the Peyton Manning and Bill Polian era.
The decision to keep both Pagano AND Grigson is the interesting one because the two have had trouble co-existing in Indy. However, going back on that statement just hours later, the Colts announced that Pagano has been signed to an extension. “We’ve been through the ringer together, but we’re still focused on one goal, winning a championship”. Pagano painted a picture of his relationship with Grigson as being respectful, even if they disagree.
If so, then it could have outweighed it earlier this season, when Pagano was hung out to dry all year, had to answer questions about his job for half the season (at least that inspired the great line, “They can’t eat you”) and had to suffer through the reports that he was certainly gone.
“I’m convinced we have the right stuff on my right (Grigson) and my left (Pagano) going forward to win a world championship, ” Irsay said.
“I’ve had a lot of great days in my life but none better than today”, said Pagano.
After all, there’s a wise saying that goes something like, “If you don’t respect the past, how can you appreciate the present”. “It’s a great, great day”. “I am super excited that he got another four years”.
Reaction to the Pagano deal was immediate from Colts players on social media.
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What we do know though is that both Pagano and Grigson will be in Indy next year and both men are excited about it. Words can’t describe how I feel. The Colts chose to go for it on 4th down with only two players on the field? Through this season, which has been trying and disappointing, he’s always been sort of a bastion of good coaching…
