List of Indianapolis Colts head coaches

This is a complete list of Indianapolis Colts head coaches. There have been 16 head coaches for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). In 1953, a Baltimore-based group led by Carroll Rosenbloom won the rights to a new Baltimore franchise. Rosenbloom was granted an NFL team, and was awarded the holdings of the defunct Dallas Texans organization. The team was known as the Baltimore Colts for 31 seasons before moving to Indianapolis in March 1984. [cite web |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=14 |title=Indianapolis Colts |accessdate=2008-06-18 |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame]

Keith Molesworth became the first coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1953, but he was reassigned to a different position with the team following the season.cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html |title=Baltimore Colts: Historical Moments |accessdate=2008-06-18 |publisher=Baltimore Colts] In terms of tenure, Weeb Ewbank has led the team for more games (112) and more complete seasons (nine) than any other head coach. He led the team to two of their NFL championships. Three Colts head coaches; Ewbank, Shula (3), and Marchibroda, have been named coach of the year by at least one major news organization. Ewbank and Shula are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1978 and 1997 respectively. [cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/11/18/archive/main22907.shtml |title=Coach Ewbank Laid To Rest |accessdate=2008-06-19 |publisher=CBS News] [cite web |url=http://www.nationwidespeakers.com/speaker/89/don-shula/nfl-coaching-legend |title=Don Shula: NFL Coaching Legend |accessdate=2008-06-19 |publisher=Nationwide] The current head coach of the Indianapolis Colts is Tony Dungy, who was hired on January 22, 2002. [cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2002/01/22/dungy020122.html |title=Dungy hired as Colts head coach |accessdate=2008-06-19 |publisher=CBCSports]

Five times in Colts history there were "interim" head coaches. In 1972, Don McCafferty was fired five games into the in the season. John Sandusky was named as the interim head coach for the rest of the season, during which he led the Colts to a 4–5 record, but he was not made the permanent coach the next year. In 1974, head coach Howard Schnellenberger started off the season 0–3 and was fired. Joe Thomas assumed the duties of head coach and finished the season at 2–12. In 1991, the Colts started off 0–5 and Ron Meyer was fired as head coach. Rick Venturi was named as the interim for the final 11 games. [cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/indy/icolts.html |title=Indianapolis Colts: Historical Moments |accessdate=2008-06-19 |publisher=Indianapolis Colts] In 2005 Tony Dungy was forced to miss one game due to personal issues. Jim Caldwell was named as the one game interim. [cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2268593 |title=Dungy's son, 18, found dead in Tampa suburb |accessdate=2008-06-18 |publisher=ESPN]

Key

legend2|#FFE6BD|Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame|border=1px solid #AAAAAA

Coaches

Statistics correct as of June 19, 2008, after the end of the 2007 NFL season.

Footnotes

*note label|Note1|a|aJohn Sandusky was the interim head coach for nine games during the 1972 season.
*note label|Note1|b|bJoe Thomas was the interim head coach for eleven games during the 1974 season.
*note label|Note1|c|cRon Meyer was the interim head coach for three games during the 1986 season.
*note label|Note1|d|dRick Venturi was the interim head coach for eleven games during the 1991 season.

References

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