Colts Losing TE Coach Tom Manning Who Will Return to Iowa State

A few coaching changes have taken place already this offseason for the Colts, and more are on the way. Tight ends coach Tom Manning will be leaving to return to Iowa State according to Zak Keefer of the Indy Star.

Enough cannot be said about the job Manning did working with a tight end room that was missing their best player, Jack Doyle, for much of the season. He helped resurrect the career of notable draft bust Eric Ebron, was a key part of the development of guys like Mo Alie-Cox and Ryan Hewitt, and was a well-liked and respected member of the coaching staff.

This comes on the heels of the firing of offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo and the loss of assistant offensive line coach Bobby Johnson to the Buffalo Bills. While Frank Reich took a very active role in the blocking and protection meetings for the offensive line, losing these three guys is not a small thing.

All three coaches contributed to the stellar season had by the offensive line, and that now makes two internal candidates who had been rumored as possible replacements for DeGuglielmo who are no longer with the team.

Given how well they played at both the tight end and offensive line positions, it will be critical to find coaches who can step into those roles and continue the development and execution of both groups. The good news is that given the level of talent in both those rooms, they should not want for solid options interested in taking over.