Colts decide to keep coach Chuck Pagano

Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Monday night the extension is for four years and is tied with general manager Ryan Grigson. Instead Monday night he and general manager Ryan Grigson signed extensions that will keep them both in Indianapolis through the 2019 season.

Just like Coughlin, Pagano’s players actually got emotional in the locker room after their win over Tennessee with linebacker Robert Mathis handing Pagano the game ball and many other players defending their coach, according to the Indianapolis Star. “But we’re going to add a lot more playmakers”. He also wants to wait and see how much interest there is from the Colts in having him come back.

“I’m happy to announce that we are moving forward with Chuck as our coach”, Irsay said in a news conference Monday. “Like I said, there’s been a lot reported, a lot written”, said Colts owner Jim Irsay.

Irsay said: “If you think somebody’s going to bully my head coach, you’re wrong”.

Notes: Indy’s Adam Vinatieri made three field goals and finished the season with 107 points, extending his National Football League record of 100-point seasons to 18. “It was a long day of conversations and I came out of it really excited and energized”. Injuries and questionable personnel decisions led to this season’s 8-8 mark, and though Pagano could hardly be blamed for that, it would not have been surprising if Irsay had chose to go in a different direction. “You don’t know me”. Ryan’s not that type of guy.

After the Colts’ season finale on Sunday, he was even given a game ball by the players, with the assumption being he had just coached his last game with the team. Backup Matt Hasselbeck was 5-3 in his place, and Indianapolis beat Tennessee 30-24 on Sunday with Josh Freeman starting and Ryan Lindley handling the 2-minute drill. I am grateful to Mr. Irsay for this opportunity. Four years ago, we started coming to this building with the same vision, the same mindset, and we’ll continue to do that day and day out.

Surprisingly, the Colts held together after the early-season drama, and the absence of Andrew Luck for nine games this season surely helped Pagano’s case. Players declined to say what specifically was discussed, but many acknowledged Pagano expressed “love” for each of his players. “We’ve been through the ringer together”. There are going to be times when we are both passionate about what we do because we are trying to win a championship…

Pagano described the experience as “a great day”.

Pagano posted three straight 11-5 campaigns and a trip to the AFC Championship a season ago before this past year.

Pagano is 41-23 in four seasons in Indianapolis, which is good enough for the fifth-best winning percentage among active coaches with at least two full seasons.