Report: Colts to Interview Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone for Head Coach Opening

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Indianapolis Colts are also interviewing special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone for their head coaching vacancy:

The 40 year old is a highly regarded special teams coach, whose Colts special teams units have consistently ranked among the league’s best (although to be fair, the Colts did rank just 26th in 2022 in special teams DVOA [via Football Outsiders], likely impacted by punter Rigoberto Sanchez’s season-ending injury, since replaced kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s early struggles, and the loss of special teams standouts George Odum to free agency, as well as Ashton Dulin to injury for a stretch).

That being said, the Colts are just a year removed from being regarded as the league’s 2nd best special teams unit according to guru Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings (and were also the NFL’s 2nd best unit per Gosselin in 2021).

After former Colts head coach Frank Reich was fired near midseason, Ventrone, well liked in the locker room, was thought to be a potential frontrunner as the interim head coach replacement before team owner Jim Irsay intervened and shockingly named Jeff Saturday.

Regardless of whether Ventrone ultimately lands the job, it appears as though he’s a young up-and-coming coach that the Colts would ideally like to keep around in their staff, regardless of who ends up as their next head coach.