Report: Bengals OC Brian Callahan, Giants DC Wink Martindale Have Been Eliminated from Colts Head Coach Search

According to SI.com’s Albert Breer (and multiple sources), the Indianapolis Colts have removed both Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale from the team’s ongoing head coaching search:

Both men had been among the second round finalists and had reportedly garnered positive reviews throughout the interview process.

That being said, at the end, there can only be one hire.

It appears as though the Colts have begun the process to finally trim the finalists down, with a head coaching hiring announcement likely coming early next week after the Super Bowl.

Along with the Los Angeles Rams Raheem Morris and Philadelphia Eagles Shane Steichen, Callahan was considered one of the potential frontrunners for the job—especially given his strong connections to legendary Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Meanwhile, Martindale, as a veteran defensive coordinator, had been a surprise dark horse candidate who had continued to hang around even late in the process.

It was also reported that Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka had been eliminated, but there was no earlier report that he had garnered a second round interview.