Colts opt for Pagano

Indianapolis Colts have announced the appointment of the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano as their new head coach.

The announcement means owner Jim Hearsay has now appointed three defensive minded coaches since he replaced his father as the team’s owner, after previously hiring Tom Dungy and before that Jim Mora.

The Colts are understandably looking for a change of fortune after they finished the season with a 2-14 record, their worst for 20 years. People looking at the latest Super Bowl betting odds online will not have been impressed by their efforts.

However, the biggest question Pagano’s appointment could raise is over the future of quarterback Peyton Manning who missed the whole of the season after recovering from neck surgery and has recently stated that he is unsure he’ll remain with the Colts next season.

The franchise are currently in a phase of transition, with a number of their coaches being let go in the off-season and Manning is thought to be looking for stability after stating he wants to stay with the side until he retires.

The 51-year-old coach has spent his entire career as an assistant with Oakland and Cleveland in the NFL as well as Miami and North Carolina in the college leagues but has never taken full charge of a side.

Manning has repeatedly dismissed his dismay at the Colts’ continuing poor form and isn’t likely to be too impressed by his side appointment someone who has never been a head coach.

However, former colleagues of the coach are full of praise for his talents and say he is ready to make the step up.

“Chuck has a leadership quality about him. He’s humble but he also knows when to take the reins and take charge,” Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger said. “He doesn’t try to dominate you in every meeting. He’s just a coach that knows exactly how players are and what direction they need.”