Colts Announce 2022 Coaching Staff

The Colts on Monday announced the hiring of seven new assistant coaches: Offensive quality control coach Brian Bratton, assistant linebackers coach Cato June, defensive backs coach Ron Milus, assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell, defensive line coach Nate Ollie, linebackers coach Richard Smith and wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne.

Additionally, three coaches received title changes: Tyler Boyles (offensive quality control coach/assistant to the head coach), Parks Frazier (pass game specialist/assistant quarterbacks) and Matt Raich (assistant defensive line).

Bratton spent the last seven seasons coaching wide receivers and special teams at Furman, his alma mater. The former wide receiver spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens in 2005 before his playing career took him to NFL Europe's Cologne Centurions (2006), the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats (2007) and the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes (2007-2012).

With the Alouettes, Bratton was coached by current Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, who was Montreal's wide receivers coach from 2009-2011 and offensive coordinator in 2012. Scott Milanovich, now the Colts' quarterbacks coach, was the Alouettes' offensive coordinator from 2009-2011 with Bratton.

Bratton caught 263 passes for 3,127 yards with 23 touchdowns in his six seasons with the Alouettes.

June spent the last six years coaching at the college level with stops at Bowling Green (2021), UMass (2020) and Howard (2016-2019). He spent the 2018 offseason with the Colts through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

"I think (he) has a really bright future and (is someone) who has absolutely grinded, like grinded to get where he is today," general manager Chris Ballard said. "He's coached for 10 years at both small schools and worked his way up and earned this opportunity."

June, a sixth-round pick of the Colts in 2003, started 45 games at linebacker for Indianapolis from 2003-2006 and totaled 504 tackles, 12 interceptions and two forced fumbles over his seven-year career spent with the Colts, Buccaneers and Bears.

In 2005, June earned second-team AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors with 103 tackles, five interceptions and an NFL-high two pick-sixes. And in 2006, June recorded a career high 142 tackles and picked off three passes while helping the Colts to a Super Bowl XLI win over the Bears.

"I'm really excited about him," Reich said. "I got to know him a little bit. He did an internship with us. A very smart guy, our kind of guy."

Mitchell played the final season of his 10-year career with the Colts in 2018 and left a strong impression on the organization that year. Over a career spent with the Oakland Raiders (2009-2012), Carolina Panthers (2013), Pittsburgh Steelers (2014-2017) and Colts, Mitchell appeared in 145 games with 11 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, 7 1/2 sacks and 514 tackles.

Mitchell also appeared in nine playoff games (eight starts) with the Panthers, Steelers and Colts. He totaled 41 tackles, two pass break-ups, one forced fumble and one sack in those postseason contests.

"(He) really brings a presence of leadership, toughness – mental and physical toughness – savvy veteran guy who understands the game," Reich said. "The little game within the game. That's what I was really looking for in that position was somebody who understands the game within the game, can connect with players at a deep level like that."

Milus brings over two decades of NFL coaching experience – including the last five years with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley – to the Colts. He most recently coached the Las Vegas Raiders' defensive backs in 2021, helping acclimate rookies Trevon Moehrig, Nate Hobbs and Devine Deablo to Bradley's coverage schemes. Hobbs and veteran Casey Hayward Jr. were among Pro Football Focus' 12 highest-graded cornerbacks in coverage last season.

The Raiders in 2021 were sixth in yards allowed per coverage snap (5.76) in 2021, behind only the Bills, Buccaneers, Patriots, Browns and Packers; they allowed explosive passing plays at the third-lowest rate in the NFL (10.6 percent, behind only the Bills and Browns).

Milus was the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers' defensive backs coach from 2013-2020, with the 2017-2020 seasons spent working with Bradley.

Bradley and Milus teamed up to coach defenses that ranked in the top 10 in pass defense every year from 2017-2020. The Chargers had four defensive backs earn All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors in that span: Hayward (2017), safety Derwin James (2018), cornerback Desmond King (2018) and safety Adrian Phillips (2018 – as a special teams player, but Phillips started seven games on defense).

Prior to hit stint with the Chargers, Milus coached defensive backs with the Denver Broncos (2000-2002, 2011-2012), Carolina Panthers (2009-2010), St. Louis Rams (2006-2008), New York Giants (2004-2005) and Arizona Cardinals (2003). Milus, a cornerback and return specialist at the University of Washington from 1982-1985, began coaching at his prep alma mater, Lincoln (Wash.) High School from 1988-1990 before coaching at Washington (1991-1998) and Texas A&M (1999).

Ollie most recently served as the assistant defensive line coach for the New York Jets (2021) and Philadelphia Eagles (2019-2020). Under Ollie's watch, Jets defensive end John Franklin-Myers totaled 53 pressures (T-19th among edge rushers) and earned a PFF grade of 80.3 (12th among edge rushers); both were career highs for Franklin-Myers.

During Ollie's two years with the Eagles, defensive end Brandon Graham recorded his second- and third-highest sack totals of his 12-year career (8 1/2 and eight) and earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2020. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox also earned consecutive Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and 2020.

Prior to joining the Eagles, Ollie was Eastern Kentucky's defensive line coach in 2018 and a graduate assistant at Tennessee from 2015-2017. Ollie attended Ball State, where he appeared in 47 games (38 starts) at defensive tackle with 178 tackles, 15 sacks, 29 1/2 tackles for a loss and one forced fumbles. The Chicago native was a three-time All-MAC selection. His wife, Ambria, is a former Colts cheerleader.

Smith brings 43 years of coaching experience, including 34 in the NFL, to the Colts. He's been a part of Bradley's coaching staffs since 2017, when he was hired as the Los Angeles Chargers' linebackers coach. After spending the 2017-2020 season with the Chargers, Smith followed Bradley to the Raiders as linebackers coach in 2021.

Smith coached Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman to his first career Pro Bowl in 2021, a season in which he totaled a career high 154 tackles.

Prior to linking up with Bradley, Smith served as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2015-2016), Houston Texans (2006-2008) and Miami Dolphins (2005). He also spent time as the linebackers coach of the Denver Broncos (2011-2014), Carolina Panthers (2009-2010), Detroit Lions (2003-2004) and San Francisco 49ers (1997-2002).

Smith got his coaching start at Rio Hondo Junior College as an offensive line coach from 1979-1890. He also had collegiate coaching stops at Cal State Fullerton (1981-1983), Cal (1984-1986) and Arizona (1987) before joining the Houston Oilers' coaching staff in 1988. Smith served as a special teams coach for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1996 as well.

Read more about Wayne's return to the Colts here.

The full Colts 2022 coaching staff is below: