Shane Steichen in His Own Words: Journey to Becoming Colts’ Head Coach

This is Part 2 of a two-part Q&A with new Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who sat down with The 33rd Team to talk about his approach to the quarterback position and his journey to becoming a head coach.

Part 2 focuses on Steichen’s journey to becoming a head coach, how this offseason’s interview process went and which coaches inspired him over the years.

Steichen’s Coaching Journey

Q: You interviewed for the Colts coaching job while you were preparing for the Super Bowl. How did you compartmentalize doing both?

A: The way it worked out for my interview is we had that [wild-card round] bye week. During that bye week, we were preparing for who we could possibly play in the divisional round. That weekend, I had to do my first Zoom interview. Then, you can’t interview again until you’ve lost or go off to the championship game. After that first week, my mindset was completely on football, like, who are we playing? Once that was done, my mind was locked and ready to go for our opponent.

After the NFC Championship game, Indy came back in, and I got a chance to do an in-person interview with them. That was leading up to the Super Bowl, and we were game-planning all week. That Friday and Saturday, when you’re playing a home game, you usually get those afternoons off. You get some time in the middle before you come back for night meetings. That was when we attacked that second interview.

Once that was done, the focus was on Kansas City for the Super Bowl, and that was it. Then you just wait and see what happens. We played the Super Bowl, and then I went out to Indy.

Q: With everything happening so quickly, did you get a chance to grieve or reflect on the Super Bowl loss?

A: The night after the game, it was obviously tough. It was really tough to go through that and how hard it is to get to that game and everything that goes into that. It takes so much effort from so many different people to get there and to be that close. You know, just a couple of plays here and there could be the difference. That’s what this league is. It was tough that night. There’s no doubt about it.

Then the next morning, I had to get on a plane and come to Indy and be excited about the next chapter of my opportunity and my family’s opportunity to be out here. Overall, it did happen pretty fast. I still think about that Super Bowl once or twice a day.

Q: You’ve got a young staff with the Colts. Was that important to you? Or was it just the way it worked out?

A: I think it was a little bit of both. I went through the interview process, and I wasn’t just going to hire the first guy who entered. I had a list of guys I wanted to talk to, so I did my due diligence on that and tried to hire the best candidate whether they were older or younger. A lot of them I thought were the best fit for what I wanted to do were younger. That’s the way it went. I’m excited about the guys we have on staff.

Tony [Sparano Jr.], the offensive line coach, we got him, and it’s going to be his first time doing it full-time. When he came in and interviewed, we did six-, seven-hour, sometimes seven-and-a-half, eight-hour interviews with these guys. He was very impressive. The way he saw the game, the detail, we just really liked his style, and we’re excited to have him. Tommy Manning, our tight end coach, has coached in the league. He’s been an offensive coordinator in college football.

Jim Bob Cooter, our offensive coordinator, he’s done it. He had some really good success with Matthew Stafford, so I’m excited about him. He had success again with Trevor Lawrence this past season. I had a chance to cross over with him in Philly for one year, so I got to be around him and see how he saw the game. I’m just really excited about him for the offense.

Reggie Wayne [wide receivers coach] is a guy who’s played at a high level. Obviously, he was one of the best ever to do it. So to have that in the receiver room so those guys can see what it has looked like here in Indy in the past is special. Deandre Smith [running backs coach] is another guy I got from New York. He’s just a passionate guy who loves the game. We’re excited about him working with the backs and so on and so forth.

Quarterbacks coach Cam Turner had the chance to work with Cam Newton and Kyler Murray, so he’s been around. He comes from a football family, so I’m excited about the offensive staff.

Q: Over the years, which coaches have inspired you the most?

A: I just remember when I was in college and high school when I was getting recruited, John Robinson recruited me to go to UNLV; his previous stops were at USC and as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. You know, what he did being around some of the great players he was around, I thought that was pretty cool. Having the chance to play for him at UNLV for two years was awesome.

I got to be around Bruce Snyder, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame. You know, my sophomore year when I was there, he came out of retirement from Arizona State. Both those guys are tremendous people, tremendous leaders. From there, I went on to Louisville and worked with Charlie Strong. It was a hometown success story there, and then we all went to Texas.

Then I got to the NFL and my first job was under Norv Turner from 2011-12. I have a ton of respect for him, the way he saw the game and just how he had a great feel for calling games, along with how he led. He was a head coach three different times in the NFL. But to be around that and see that that was my first job in the NFL. I have a ton of respect for him.

Around the league, there are so many guys who have done it at a high level for a long time. Andy Reid is obviously doing it on a high level. Bill Belichick is doing it at a high level. I just have a ton of respect for those guys who have been doing it for a long time.