This past week, the Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich and hired Jeff Saturday as the interim head coach. The decision was shocking to most, considering Saturday has no NFL, or even college, head-coaching experience.
Many have been outspoken about the hiring choice, upset with Irsay's decision to name Saturday the head coach, and not happy the former Colt accepted the job.
The latest big name in the NFL to get candid about the hiring is former NFL head coach and Hall of Famer Bill Cowher. The Steelers legend called out Saturday for not wanting to take a job with the Colts before, wondering what the difference is now.
"It's a disgrace to the coaching profession."@CowherCBS's emotional reaction to the Colts hiring Jeff Saturday. pic.twitter.com/B8QCSJZpPW
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 13, 2022
"I am speaking on behalf of the coaching profession. I know for a fact that Jeff Saturday was offered an opportunity to become an assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts multiple times within the past four years," Cowher said Sunday. "He declined, citing he had a TV job and wanted to spend more time with family. I get it. Coaching is about commitment and sacrifice. It's not just a job. It is a lifestyle. That being said, Jeff Saturday has taken the position this year as a consultant for the Colts, and he's talked to them weekly form his home in Atlanta."
Cowher finds it insulting to the other coaches with the Colts who have been there every step of the way this season, expressing that he believes they deserve the job over Saturday.
"Now to find out -- in a short period of time that he's the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts overseeing a staff he chose not to choose because of a lifestyle. Jeff Saturday talked about in his first press conference the fact that he's going to use this second half to build his resume and to see if he can coach in the future," Cowher said. "I say to that, what about the assistants on the staff right now? The guys that were there in training camp, the guys that were there early in the mornings and late at night. ... Don't they deserve the opportunity?"
Calling out Irsay, Cowher calls the move a "disgrace" and a "travesty"
"For an owner to hire a coach who has never been an assistant at the college or pro level and overseeing a lot of qualified candidates to build a resume, it's a disgrace to the coaching profession. In regards to how this played out, what happened in Indianapolis is a travesty," the Hall of Famer said.
For all of the outrage, Saturday secured a win in his NFL coaching debut Sunday. With Matt Ryan under center, the Colts defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 25-20, to move to 4-5-1 on the season.
