Brad Seely to interview with Colts

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 24, 2012, 11:22 AM EST
AP

There’s another candidate in the mix for the Colts’ head-coaching vacancy: 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely.

Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that Seely is scheduled to interview Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Seely has a good reputation as one of the best special teams coaches in the league. After spending a decade as a college coach, Seely broke into the NFL with the Colts in 1989 and has also coached the special teams for the Jets, Panthers, Patriots and Browns.

Coaching special teams hasn’t been a common career path for those who want to become head coaches, but that may be changing, thanks in part to the success that former special teams coach John Harbaugh has had as a head coach in Baltimore. This year Bears special teams coach Dave Toub and Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis were also candidates for head-coaching vacancies.

Other known candidates for the Colts job include Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, former Ohio State head coach and Colts assistant Jim Tressel and former Vikings head coach Brad Childress.

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29 responses to “Brad Seely to interview with Colts”

  4. IT kinda looks like to me that the Colts didn’t have much of a ‘Plan B’ when they fired Caldwell/Polian, kinda like Polian not having a ‘Plan B’ when Manning got injured.

    I find it hard to believe that an owner fired both his Coach and GM without already having a ‘short list’ of who he might want to replace them already developed.

    You’d think an Owner would maintain a list like that if for no other reason than to be able to answer the question, “who do I want if my GM/Coach suddenly drops dead of a heart attack or gets run over by a truck on the way to practice.”

  7. Brad Seely was outstanding during his stint with the Browns. Under his leadership, the Browns had one the best Sp. Teams units in football. And after Seely’s departure, The Browns’ Special Teams experienced a steep decline.

    The fact that he has made every Sp. Teams unit he has coached the best in the business – including his revitalization of the Niners Teams unit this year – should put him on the short list for every HC vacancy in the league. He deserves serious consideration and it looks like he is finally getting it.

  11. This should make Peyton super happy now. Things are looking up now! If I were Peyton, I’d WANT out. “Oh darn, I got released, they look like the bad guys, and I move on.”

  14. Chilly…Chilly…Chilly….

    As a Viking fan I don’t want us to be the only team to suffer his arrogance so I’ve got to root for him to go somewhere else. Besides that, if we get him off the books maybe the Wilf’s can afford to spring for some new coach’s…..

  16. I think he is one of the best coaches in the league, and a big loss to the 49ers if he leaves. The special teams improved dramatically in one year and one mistake from one player won’t change that.

  17. Wasnt Belichick a Special Teams Coach when he was first starting out, back in the 70’s with the Lions or possibly the Colts?

  18. The guy is solid…as good if not better than anyone else Irsay has spoken to…To me, why clean house unless you can get a big time name…Guess no one wants to work for Irsay…

  19. Dud has three Superbowl Rings from his time with the Patriots. In spite of the latest memory from Sunday night, the man a an outstanding coach and Indy could do much worse. I really hope he stays in SF though.

  20. Coaching in the NFL since 1989 and never been higher than a special teams/position coach. Yup sounds like a great hire to me.

  22. Would a top rated coach want to enter into a situation where the owner needs top billing . This is a sure way to end up as a perennial loser or at best a .500 team.

  23. To even put in Kyle Williams to return punts against the Giants should completely eliminate Seely from ever coaching an entire team.

  25. Those who are making snide comments about Seely obviously don’t follow football or know much about the NFL. Williams is an obvious screw-up and he single-handedly lost that game for the Niners, but that should not obscure the outstanding work Seely has done in the NFL. His Special Teams units have always been the best in the league wherever he has coached in the past.

    In NE, Cleveland, and now in SF, Seely took over bad Special Teams units and turned them into grade A squads in his first years with those teams.

    Here’s a question for all the haters: should Joe Philbin have been dropped from the Dolphins HC search because Ryan Grant fumbled against the Giants last week? The loss to the Giants should not obscure the outstanding job Seely has done in SF. Obviously NFL front offices are more informed than the peanut gallery.

  26. I hope they hire someone else…this guy is a good coach and turned our special teams unit into the best in football….Kyle Williams was a stop gap due to an injured Ginn…If we had Ted returning kicks I bet things would have been different.

  27. tednancy says:

    Here’s a question for all the haters: should Joe Philbin have been dropped from the Dolphins HC search because Ryan Grant fumbled against the Giants last week? The loss to the Giants should not obscure the outstanding job Seely has done in SF. Obviously NFL front offices are more informed than the peanut gallery.
    ———————————————
    Yep, we all thought they were idiots for handing the reigns over to Caldwell, but they showed us. Now hire a guy who’s been in the NFL for 22 years, and has never progressed higher than special teams coach. As good as his special teams units have been, there must be a reason for that.

  28. Those who base their idea of 49ers special teams on Kyle Williams’ fumbles have missed out on a historically impressive special teams performance this season.

    The 49ers led the league both in average offensive starting field position and average opponent’s starting field position, thanks to both their kick/punt return and coverage units. Andy Lee broke the record for net punt yards, while David Akers broke the field goal record. The 49ers are the only team in the league that did not allow a touchdown on any kind of return (punt, kick, or interception). A surprise onside kick and a fake field goal resulting in Akers throwing a touchdown pass were both major contributors to tough 49er victories this year.

    Jim Harbaugh praised Brad Seely throughout the year as head coaching material, and it seems at least the Colts have taken notice. That said, for purely selfish reasons I hope they go with someone else and that the Niners get to keep Seely for at least a couple more years!

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