Fansided

Colts hire Josh McDaniels as head coach

By Matt Verderame

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 25, 2017: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels of the New England Patriots makes a play call from the sideline in the first quarter of a preseason game on August 25, 2017 against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. New England won 30-28. (Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 25, 2017: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels of the New England Patriots makes a play call from the sideline in the first quarter of a preseason game on August 25, 2017 against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. New England won 30-28. (Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /
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The Indianapolis Colts have tried the replacement of Chuck Pagano, landing Josh McDaniels to run the show moving forward in Naptown.

After weeks of trying to find the right candidate, the Colts finally landed Josh McDaniels. McDaniels, 41, will be serving his second stint as an NFL head coach, having previously worked two years with the Denver Broncos in 2009-10.

Indianapolis interviewed McDaniels, Baylor head football coach Matt Rhule and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, but ultimately walked away with the hottest name of this cycle. McDaniels has won five Super Bowls as an assistant to Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots.

Although his brief tenure with the Broncos can be best described as a debacle, McDaniels remains one of the brightest offensive minds in football. After pairing Andrew Luck with the defensive-minded Pagano for the first five years of his career, the Colts are hoping that their uber-talented quarterback can blossom under the same ideas and concepts that Brady has received for much of the decade.

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After weeks of seemingly sputtering in their search, one has to wonder whether the firing of Mike Mularkey by the Tennessee Titans created urgency to make this happen. There were reports from Ian Rapoport that Tennessee would be a top choice of McDaniels, perhaps getting Indianapolis to sweeten the deal.

The Colts have the third-overall selection in the upcoming NFL draft, something that could become useful in either protecting Luck, giving him another weapon or bolstering one of the league’s worst defense.