The Indianapolis Colts are expected to hire Jim Bob Cooter as the offensive coordinator under new head coach Shane Steichen.
While the rest of the offensive coaching staff has yet to be announced, this hiring was reported by multiple outlets.
While Steichen will be the one calling plays, Cooter’s role as the offensive coordinator will be vital in the development of whichever young quarterback the Colts select in the 2023 NFL draft.
Here are eight things to know about the Colts’ new offensive coordinator:
1
Got his start with Indy
Cooter got his start coaching in the NFL with the Colts as an offensive assistant under former head coach Jim Caldwell and Frank Reich, who was the quarterbacks coach. He held the role for three seasons (2009-2011), working closely with Peyton Manning during that time.
2
Another stint with Peyton
After spending the 2012 season as an offensive quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cooter spent the 2013 campaign as an offensive assistant while Manning played through the historic season that resulted in career-highs of passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55).
3
Run with Detroit
Cooter is best known for his time with the Detroit Lions. He joined the staff in 2014 as the quarterbacks coach, working closely with Matthew Stafford. He held the same role in 2015 but was named the interim offensive coordinator after Joe Lombardi was fired during the season.
Cooter was then hired as the offensive coordinator in 2016, a role he would hold under the aforementioned Caldwell for three seasons until the Lions cleaned house.
In the three seasons Cooter was the offensive coordinator, Matthew Stafford completed 65.7% of his passes while averaging 4,445 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions per season (on a 17-game pace).
4
Short stint with Jets
After the coaching staff was cleaned out in Detroit, Cooter joined the New York Jets coaching staff under Adam Gase, who was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos during Cooter’s one season in Denver. Cooter spent two seasons as the running backs coach for the Jets.
5
Connection with Steichen?
While their paths may have crossed before, Cooter served as an offensive consultant on the Eagles coaching staff in 2021 under head coach and former Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. Steichen, now the head coach of the Colts, was the offensive coordinator at the time. It’s likely this is where their relationship grew.
6
Most recent role with Jags
Following his season as an offensive consultant in Philly, Cooter joined Doug Pederson’s staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the passing-game coordinator. Under Pederson and Cooter’s tutelage, second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence thrived to the tune of completing 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
7
A solid history of quarterbacks
Cooter has a solid list of quarterbacks on his resume. He worked on the staff with Peyton Manning during the Colts years (2009-2010) and for one season in Denver (2013). He worked extremely closely with Matthew Stafford for five seasons (2014-2018). He helped the game-planning for the Eagles in 2021 in Jalen Hurts’ first season as a starter and was in charge of the passing game for Lawrence and the Jaguars in 2022.
8
He has a cool name
Though his real name is James Robert Cooter, he has been known as Jim Bob since high school. It’s objectively an awesome name.
