Jeff Saturday Says He, Jim Irsay Didn't Discuss Colts HC Job Prior to Reich's Firing

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and interim head coach Jeff Saturday talked during the team's 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, but it wasn't about the possibility that Saturday would replace Frank Reich.

Saturday told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that Irsay called him during the Week 9 game to ask why the Colts were giving up so many sacks to the Patriots defense.

"This wasn't a conversation about Frank," Saturday said.

The Colts fired Reich as their head coach and named Saturday as his replacement on an interim basis Monday. New England's defense sacked Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger nine times in Sunday's loss.

Reich told Mike Chappell of Fox 59 that Irsay called him around 10:45 a.m. on Monday morning to let him know the Colts were making a coaching change.

Much has been made about how Saturday got the job as Indianapolis' interim head coach. The 47-year-old is one of the most beloved players in franchise history. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection and was part of their Super Bowl-winning team in 2006.

Aside from being a Colts icon, Saturday has no coaching experience at the college or NFL level. He did have a 20-16 record as a high school head coach at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia.

During his introductory press conference Monday, Saturday told reporters that "shocked would be an understatement" to describe his reaction to getting the job.

"We had a conversation and it escalated quickly," Saturday said of the hiring process with Irsay. "He asked me and my wife. He told me he was going to meet with [general manager] Chris [Ballard] about it. As the day progressed, we finally came to a conclusion. It was a 12-hour whirlwind. It was a late call."

Irsay said during the same press conference he's "glad" Saturday doesn't have any NFL coaching experience.

"I’m glad he hasn’t learned the fear that’s in this league, because it’s tough for all our coaches. They’re afraid," he explained. "They go to analytics and it gets difficult."

It seems as if Irsay is making impulsive decisions during a disappointing season for the Colts. The Athletic's Zak Keefer reported Irsay was heavily involved in the decision to bench Matt Ryan for Ehlinger.

Irsay told ESPN's Chris Mortensen as recently as Oct. 30 he was giving no thought to firing Reich or general manager Chris Ballard.

"I'm in a great spot with Chris and Frank," Irsay said. "We're all re-energized with the move to Sam Ehlinger. Nothing is easy, but feel really good."

The Colts have lost Ehlinger's first two starts, and the offense scored a total of 19 points. They had 43 net passing yards against the Patriots.

Reich finished his tenure as Colts head coach with a 40-33-1 record and two playoff appearances in four-and-a-half seasons. They are in second place in the AFC South with a 3-5-1 record.