The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Chuck Pagano after six seasons with the team. Adam Schefter reported the news on Twitter about the firing.
Colts have fired Chuck Pagano, as @ACwishtv first reported.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2017
Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement:
“Chuck Pagano provided Colts fans with many exciting wins and memories as head coach of the Colts. Throughout his tenure in Indianapolis, he impacted the lives of the players he coached, those who he worked with in the organization and Colts fans across the globe. … We are thankful for Chuck’s contributions to our franchise and community and we wish him, Tina and the entire Pagano family nothing but the best moving forward.”
This season was not a good one for the Colts. They finished 4-12 this season and third in the AFC South. Quarterback Andrew Luck missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury. This was also the third straight season that the Colts missed the playoffs under Pagano.
Things were not always this bad. Pagano led the Colts to the playoffs in his first three seasons and to the AFC Championship Game in 2014. Luck was a big part of that, and his absence from the field may have something to do with the recent lack of success.
Pagano also had a rough personal start to his career in Indianapolis. He was diagnosed with leukemia and missed most of the 2012 season. Pagano was able to come back for their Week 17 game after his cancer entered remission.
Pagano will finish his time in Indianapolis with a 53-43 record. The search is now on for a new coach as the Colts try to get Luck healthy and turn the franchise around.
