11 Best young coaches in the NFL
By Robert Judin
11. Pep Hamilton – Indianapolis Colts Offensive Coordinator (40-years-old)
Pep Hamilton is a name you probably haven’t heard of unless you have Indianapolis Colts bed sheets, in which case, you have bigger problems than your absurd knowledge of the Colts’ assistant coaches.
Hamilton is the second-youngest coach on this list at 40-years-old. Though he’ll be turning 41 on September 19.
The Colts’ offense wreaked havoc on NFL defenses last season. They posted the most passing yards in the league with 4,894. Indianapolis also tallied 1,612 rushing yards in spite of Trent Richardson’s Mr. Magoo running style.
Hamilton’s offense posted 406.6 yards and 28.6 points per game last season en route to an AFC Championship game appearance.
Now, the argument against Hamilton here is his golden goose: Andrew Luck. But when it comes to landing Hamilton a head-coaching job, no one is going to credit that all to Luck. Some team will see the offensive outbursts each year and give him a shot.
Hell, if Luck can get Jim Harbaugh a head-coaching position in the NFL, he can get Hamilton a promotion, too.
It must not be forgotten that the Colts’ offensive line has been suspect as well. So as much as we glamorize Luck for being an absolute stud of a quarterback, Hamilton deserves more credit than he gets for the Colts’ offensive output.
It certainly helps that Hamilton worked with Luck (and Coby Fleener) at Stanford when he coached the wide receivers under Harbaugh. The next year, under David Shaw, Hamilton was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Hamilton interviewed for the Oakland Raiders’ head coaching vacancy this past offseason before they settled on Jack Del Rio. It won’t be long before he gets his shot.
Next: 10. Todd Haley