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The Indianapolis Colts have fired six assistant coaches since the season ended, signifying that despite the fact that Chuck Pagano is still around as head coach, changes are being made. The Colts will have a new defensive coordinator, safeties coach, secondary coach, tight ends coach, running backs coach, and strength and conditioning coach next season, but are those the only moves that the team will make when it comes to the coaching staff?
The answer to that question is very much still up in the air, but a lot of Colts fans want the team to get rid of offensive line coaches Joe Gilbert and Hal Hunter as they realize that the unit has struggled in recent years. Though the team has yet to announce anything regarding changes to the offensive line staff, it's still possible that they will be coming.
According to FOX Sports' Mike Garafalo, the Colts will indeed be making changes among their offensive line coaches, even throwing out a couple of names as potential replacements already.
Operation Protect Andrew Luck will result in new Colts OL coach(es). Chris Foerster (SF), Pat Flaherty (NYG) among the possibilities.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 7, 2016
Garafolo responded to some other tweets and noted that one of the Colts' two offensive line coaches (he's not sure which one) has an expiring contract and the other one could be fired. So, in other words, just because the move hasn't been made yet doesn't mean that moves won't be coming to that portion of the staff.
Joe Gilbert just finished his third year as the team's offensive line coach after serving as the assistant offensive line coach in 2012 under Harold Goodwin, who Bruce Arians hired as his offensive coordinator in Arizona when taking the job in 2013. Since then, Gilbert has had the job, and last offseason the Colts also promoted Hal Hunter to offensive line coach as well. From 2013-2014, Hunter was the assistant offensive line coach but was promoted to offensive line coach in 2015 alongside Gilbert. Both men have long histories of coaching offensive lines both in college and in the NFL.
They're not solely to blame for the offensive line struggles, as talent and injuries have played a key role in the shortcomings as well. But the Colts have made it clear that they are making some significant changes to the coaching staff, and lack of talent wasn't an excuse when it came to other coaches - such as defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. The Colts have already announced six changes to the coaching staff, but it seems more might still be coming.