Colts fire defensive coordinator Manusky

A day after extending the contract of its head coach for four years, the Indianapolis Colts chose to part ways with their defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky, according to an NFL Network report.

The move comes as a surprise.

Under Pagano, 55, the Colts finished out the season 8-8, falling short of the playoffs.

Chuck Pagano coached with the Ravens for four seasons before heading to Indianapolis (three as the secondary coach and one as defensive coordinator) and developed several good relationships there.

And Christopher Gasper doesn’t like the Colts’ decision. Now that Pagano is back, he must decide whether to keep Hamilton’s replace, longtime friend Rod Chudzinski, in that position.

Pagano approached the reports depicting him as a lame duck with characteristic optimism.

“I will fight my ass off to be the coach here, ” Pagano told reporters last week.

The 55-year-old coach’s job appeared to be in jeopardy, but he and team owner Jim Irsay spent most of Monday meeting, and the deal was reached in the evening.

Irsay drank the Kool-Aid.

Irsay was actually comparing the first four years between Polian and Grigson.

In the end, Pagano is the guy going forward – at least until another 8-8 season or worse – and Grigson will continue on as the man tasked with purchasing the groceries. “You have no playoff wins”.

But something about the process, the organization, in Indy seems a little off after so many years of harmony with Peyton Manning running the offense and Tony Dungy at the helm.