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It has been a turbulent few weeks for the Indianapolis Colts. In early November the Colts fired their offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and head coach Frank Reich, and hired Jeff Saturday to replace him right out of the ESPN studio as the interim head coach. Since that surprise hiring the Colts have gone 1-3 and have shown little signs of improvement across both sides of the ball.
After four games of mixed results, it is looking ever more likely that the Colts will be headed in a new direction at head coach for 2023. Looking at the crop of candidates who may be in line for the job, there have been more than a few noteworthy names to make the list, highlighted by the comeback kid himself, Jim Harbaugh. Despite the big names being floated around, the Colts may have a great candidate already on staff, former wide receiver Reggie Wayne, the Colts’ all-time leader in postseason receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Why Reggie Wayne?
The Colts have faced criticism since hiring Saturday. First and foremost of that criticism is inexperience. Saturday was the first person since 1961 to become a head coach in the NFL with no prior experience at the collegiate or professional level. In contrast, at the end of the 2022 season Wayne will have an official season at wide receiver coach under his belt and volunteered in the same role for the 2018 season.
“Reggie Wayne brings so much — I mean, trust me, I’ve watched games with him. Owner Jim Irsay said in a preseason interview with Colts.com. “He’s so smart.”
Sounds a lot like the praise Irsay had for Saturday when he announced his hiring.
Another big criticism the Colts have faced considering the Saturday hiring is the fact that a minority candidate wasn’t even considered for the role. The Ringer’s NFL analyst, Austin Gayle was one of the more vocal NFL insiders questioning why Wayne, a minority candidate and “former legend,” wasn’t considered for the interim role in the first place. On the Ringer’s Week 10 NFL Power Rankers podcast, Gayle questioned why Wayne wasn’t the top choice since he had all the qualities Irsay told the media he was looking for in a candidate. Gayle suggested that hiring Wayne would go a long way in alleviating that initial criticism Irsay and the Colts faced.
Reggie Wayne’s Locker Room Impact
In addition to being a smart hire from a PR perspective, Wayne would be welcomed by the locker room with open arms. In his first year as wide receivers coach, Wayne has taken huge strides in developing a strong relationship with his players.
Top wide receiver for the Colts, Michael Pittman gushed over his coach to the media early this year, stating he has “never had a coach” like Wayne.
One just needs to look at the video Wayne posted to his Twitter account to see how strong his relationship is with his players.
There is no doubt that Reggie Wayne fits the criteria as an ideal candidate as the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Former team legend? Check. A minority candidate? Check. NFL experience? Check. Beloved by the locker room? A big check. And we know he is interested. Back in November, when asked by the Athletics’ Zak Keefer if he would have accepted the interim job if offered, Wayne responded “S*** yeah!”
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