Report: Colts hire Jeff Popovich as assistant to the head coach

The Indianapolis Colts' coaching staff was finalized several weeks ago, and one of the many moves made was to hire Andrew Hayes-Stoker as the assistant to the head coach.  Hayes-Stoker later left the Colts to accept a job as the wide receivers coach at Illinois under Lovie Smith, however, leaving his position open in Indianapolis.

First reported by Coaching Search and later confirmed by FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman, the Colts will hire Jeff Popovich to fill the role of assistant to head coach Chuck Pagano.

Popovich was a defensive back for the University of Miami for four seasons (1996-1999), playing for position coach Chuck Pagano.  He played in 46 games (starting five) and recorded 154 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries while playing as a nickel defender and as a special teams player.  He was a three-time Big East All-Academic Team selection.  After his time at Miami, he spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2001 preseason and with the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, and as a coach he was a volunteer assistant at Miami in 2000 and a graduate assistant there from 2005-2006.  In between, he spent three years working as a computer consultant, plus he played for the Barcelona Dragons in the NFL Europe League in 2001, a team that played in the World Bowl.  In 2006, after two years as a graduate assistant at Miami, Popovich was hired by Florida International University, where he spent the next six seasons.  He served as defensive backs coach and as the school's pro liaison, and in his final year he was also the special teams coordinator.  In 2013, he was hired by the University of Texas San Antonio to work with the cornerbacks, and he spent three years there (2013-2015).  This offseason, he was hired by West Carolina as defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, but it now appears he has taken his first NFL job in joining the Colts as the assistant to the head coach.

It's a move that makes sense, as Chuck Pagano knows Jeff Popovich from their days at Miami together and the team had a vacancy at the position.  It's unclear what the role of assistant to the head coach means (cue "The Office" joke), and we don't really know the responsibilities that go into the position.  But while we don't know that information, it does seem as if we know the team's replacement to Andrew Hayes-Stoker, as Jeff Popovich will be heading to Indy.