Chuck Pagano resumes Colts coaching duties

The happiest day of Pagano’s life was July 1, 1989, when he married his wife Tina. Those were his first public words back on the job this week. He thanked his wife for spending every night in the hospital curled up on a rickety rollaway bed at his side.

After thanking his wife and family, he choked back more tears, paused, and continued with a long list of thank yous. He thanked owner Jim Irsay, GM Ryan Grigson, the players, the fans, his doctors and everyone right down to the cooks and orderlies.

Pagano will be holding a press conference at 12:15 p.m. ET, when he is expected to take back the reins from interim coach Bruce Arians. The press conference will be streamed live on Indy’s official website, as per the team’s official Twitter account.

Both the Indianapoli Star and The Associated Press report Pagano has been recovering from his final round of chemotherapy the past three weeks and could be ready to resume his coaching responsibilities. Just how much responsibility he takes off the bat remains to be seen. Pagano and the Colts will work out the extent of his role this week.

Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia on Sept. 26 and on Oct. 1 announced that he’d be taking an indefinite leave. With his disease in remission, Pagano will continue to take oral medication and doctors will monitor his condition for the next few years.

Interim head coach Bruce Arians spoke Monday to discuss Pagano and delivered a very positive message.

Pagano has been hospitalized since Sept. 26, following the diagnosis of leukemia, but he received good news regarding his fight against the cancer Monday. His cancer is in remission following the first round of chemotherapy treatment. He still has two more rounds of chemotherapy ahead of him, but the reports of the treatment’s effectiveness thus far are very positive.

A bone marrow aspirate test did not reveal any evidence of the disease, causing the doctors to declare Pagano’s cancer in remission. However, remission does not mean that the illness has been cured. Due to the nature of the disease and its tendency to recur following the conclusion of treatment, Pagano must still undergo three rounds of chemotherapy.

Dr. Larry Cripe spoke on the remission, saying:

The speech, found here, talked about the Colts as a football team who ‘refused to live in circumstances’ as Pagano spoke of the organization’s triumph against the odds. From there the speech got extremely personal, as the coach talked of his dual-desire to ensure he sees the Indianapolis Colts hoist multiple Lombardi Trophies, but also to see his two daughters get married, and dance at their weddings. It was a powerful speech that clearly resonated with the Colts.

News came yesterday regarding Pagano’s condition after he had reportedly complained of fatigue and bruising dating back to the preseason. Both of these symptoms are potential signs of leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow, and tests conducted last week, while the Colts were on a bye, confirmed the specific diagnosis of APL.

In a twist of good fortune, the fact that the team did not play last week may ultimately have saved Pagano’s life. Because successful treatment depends to an extent upon early diagnosis, his ability to take time off from head coaching duties and seek medical care allowed Pagano to be tested and receive care before the condition progressed significantly.

Written on black ink on his pink play sheet, simply: “Get Well Pags!”

Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia earlier and is just beginning treatment that will keep him out of coaching for at least 4-6 weeks. Ryan lets his positive vibes for the fellow defensive guru known well on Monday night.

Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke first and introduced Dr. Larry Cripe of Indiana University’s Health Simon Cancer Center, who laid out the details of Pagano’s illness and upcoming treatment:

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson then spoke, calling Pagano a “fighter.” He also stated that Bruce Arians will take over as interim head coach. Arians then took the podium, fighting back tears. Wells writes that Arians connection with Pagano goes much deeper than just their relationship on the football field:

Irsay, though, stressed optimism that Pagano will eventually be healthy and back with the team.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will assume the role of head coach in Pagano’s absence, and Irsay told reporters that he has confidence in Arians’ ability to lead the franchise. Arians has been an NFL assistant for over 15 years, but this will be his first stint as a head coach.

Early reports indicate that Pagano has a treatable form of the disease. Treatable or otherwise, leukemia is a serious illness. It is not a sprained ACL.

Pagano is unsurprisingly optimistic about the situation. He has already vowed to return as quickly as possible. In an email to Albert Breer, Pagano promised that he will be back this season. Colts officials echoed that positive tone, telling Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star that the team was “very optimistic about his recovery.”

The news is stunning to so many in and around not only the Colts organization but the NFL world. It’s not the news you expect to hear on an NFL team on Monday morning.

According to Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, Colts players have been told of the situation.

The Colts organization is expected to hold a press conference Monday with Pagano’s doctor to offer more specifics on the situation. Initial reports from the Star and Mortensen indicate that Pagano had blood tests during the Colts’ bye week after feeling more fatigue than usual in recent weeks. According to Mortensen, Pagano thought he was feeling just “football fatigue” from his new job but he began bruising easily, so he sought medical attention.

The good news is the Colts’ organization is “optimistic about a full recovery.”