Legendary NFL head coach Bill Cowher emotionally labelled the Indianapolis Colts’ interim hiring of Jeff Saturday as a ‘disgrace to the coaching profession’ before he led them to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Over this past week, the Colts fired long-time coach Frank Reich and surprisingly hired ESPN analyst - and former Colts center - Saturday to much uproar. Considering Saturday has no head coaching experience at any level, many have slammed the decision to hire the 47-year-old.
Critics have criticised Colts owner Jim Irsay’s decision to bring Saturday in - and many aren’t happy Saturday accepted the job. He played for the Colts for 13 seasons, winning a Super Bowl while being named to four All-Pro teams before he retired after spending the 2012 season with the Green Bay Packers.
On his coaching debut, Saturday led the Colts to a dramatic 25-20 victory over the struggling Las Vegas Raiders. Saturday decided to bring veteran quarterback Matt Ryan back from exile to lead the Colts to the win, leaving them with a 4-5-1 record while the Raiders sunk to 2-7.
Before Saturday secured the unlikely win on Sunday, the latest figure to hit out at the hire was former NFL head coach and Hall of Famer Cowher. The Pittsburgh Steelers icon called out owner Irsay for going through with such a decision.
“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,” Cowher said on CBS. “In regards to how this played out, what happened in Indianapolis is a travesty.”
Cowher was particularly incensed given Saturday has declined the opportunity to work at the franchise before. He believes it is an insult and a general slap in the face to those on the coaching staff who have been overlooked.
“I am speaking on behalf of the coaching profession,” Cowher continued. “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. 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.
“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.
“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?”
Saturday’s Colts will hope to replicate their win and inflict the first defeat of the season on the 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles when the NFC team travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11 this Sunday.
