On Tuesday, a guy who spent one year as a defensive coordinator was hired to be the new head coach of the Raiders. On Wednesday, word has emerged that a guy who spent one year as a defensive coordinator will be hired to be the new head coach of the Colts.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano will accept the job.
Pagano, 51, spent the 2011 season as the coordinator of the Ravens defense, after spending three seasons as the team’s secondary coach. He also has coached with the Browns and Raiders at the NFL level, and at various colleges, including the University of Miami, East Carolina, UNLV, Boise State, and USC.
He displayed an infectious smile and a sharp sense of humor when introduced as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator last year. “I had a great experience, or sentence,” Pagano said at the time regarding a prior stint with the Raiders. “Well, I can’t say sentence, a two-year sentence in Oakland. And congratulations to Hue Jackson, it’s well deserved. And he will earn every cent that they pay him. It won’t be much, but he will earn every nickel. But I had a great experience out there. And two years was plenty.”
To get him in position to be a head coach, one year as a defensive coordinator was plenty.
And if Pagano displayed that kind of charm and wit at his interview with Jim Irsay, the two men surely hit it off.
UPDATE 4:40 p.m. ET: The Colts have announced the move. A press conference will be held at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. We wonder whether there will be more questions about Peyton Manning than references to Rob Lowe.