Colts Hire Ravens DC Chuck Pagano As Head Coach

For more on the Colts hire, check out SB Nation’s Colts blog, Stampede Blue. And for aRavens perspective, visit Baltimore Beatdown.

The initial report came down on Wednesday afternoon and within a few minutes Colts owner Jim Irsay had directed his Twitter followers to Colts.com with the message that breaking news was on its way.

The team’s statement said a press conference was coming at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday where owner Jim Irsay and new GM Ryan Grigson will be present. Judging by the reaction from SB Nation’s Colts blog, Stampede Blue, one of the questions that’ll be asked is whether the Colts will switch to a 3-4 defense.

Pagano is coming off his first season as the Ravens defensive coordinator and the stats show he clearly did well as the Ravens finished third in both points and yards allowed.

Pagano was among a number of candidates who reportedly interviewed with the Colts including Jim Tressel, Jerry Gray and Brad Childress.

For more coverage of the Colts’ head coach search, visit SB Nation’s Stampede Blue.

Tressel joined the Colts staff midway through last season as a gameday consultant. His role in the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal at Ohio State last year would make him a difficult sell for fans and media wherever he ultimately lands his next coaching gig.

For more coverage of the Colts’ head coach search, visit SB Nation’s Stampede Blue.

Pagano has been with the Ravens since 2008, first as a secondary coach under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and then as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2011 after Mattison left Baltimore to accept the defensive coordinator position at the University of Michigan. Pagano’s defense ranked third in the league in points and yards allowed in 2011, and his secondary ranked first in the league in passing touchdowns allowed.

The Colts are looking for a new head coach to replace Jim Caldwell, fired on January 17 after leading the Peyton Manning-less Colts to a 2-14 record in 2011.

Former Colts coach and current NBC analyst, Tony Dungy, was on the Dan Patrick Show on Monday morning and indicated Jim Tressel, the former Ohio State coach, could be the leading candidate.

Tressel joined the Colts in the middle of the 2011 season as a gameday consultant. He was the Ohio State head coach from 2001-2010.

On Tuesday, the Colts fired Jim Caldwell after this year’s disastrous 2-14 season. According to Irsay, it won’t be long before we find out his successor.

For more coverage of the Colts’ head coach search, visit SB Nation’s Stampede Blue.

For more coverage of the Colts’ head coach search, visit SB Nation’s Stampede Blue.