Chuck Pagano: Inexperienced Coach Will Wreck Indianapolis Colts at Critical Time

The Indianapolis Colts have officially gone all in on the rebuilding process, and they are getting off on the wrong foot by selecting Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, as first reported by profootballtalk.com.

Pagano has no head coaching experience at the NFL level and a grand total of one season as defensive coordinator for a team that has been superb on that side of the ball for the last 10 to 12 years.

Pagano was a secondary coach with the Ravens from ’08 to ’10, and worked with the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders secondaries from 2001 to 2006.

The 51-year-old is full of charisma and passion, which is likely how he sold owner Jim Irsay in interviews, but it makes you wonder if that’s the only reason he was hired.

Pagano had the benefit of inheriting a defense that employed two sure-fire Hall of Famers in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and two that can someday get there in Terrell Suggs and Halti Ngata. He was placed in a spectacular situation and didn’t screw it up.

He is just the latest on a long list of former Ravens defensive coordinators that have landed head coaching gigs (Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, Jack Del Rio, Rex Ryan)—not exactly a murderer's row of great head coaches. 

The Colts need to get an experienced head coach to handle the most awkward situation potentially ever seen in the NFL. Dealing with Peyton Manning is going to be incredibly difficult and politely kicking him out of town without losing the locker room is not going to be easy.

On top of that, a defensive-minded head coach will be breaking in QB Andrew Luck to run a brand new offense. Whoever he decides to pick for his offensive coordinator is much more important than Pagano himself.

I’m not saying Pagano doesn’t have the potential to mold into a solid head coach, but it creates a volatile situation when a head coach is getting on the job training in the midst of the most important offseason in the history of the franchise.

The pressure is on for Pagano to make all the right decisions immediately.