Colts Announce 2023 Coaching Staff

Shane Steichen's first coaching staff in Indianapolis is complete.

The Colts on Tuesday announced their 2023 coaching staff, which includes eight newcomers and several returning coaches.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, defensive line coach Nate Ollie, assistant defensive line coach Matt Raich, linebackers coach/run game coordinator Richard Smith, assistant linebackers coach Cato June, defensive backs coach Ron Milus and assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell all return from 2022; Brent Jackson, the Colts' 2022 Tony Dungy Defensive Coaching Fellow, was elevated to defensive quality control assistant in 2023. Smith will add run game coordinator to his title in 2023.

"I have a ton of respect for Gus," Steichen said. "I spent four years with him (with the Los Angeles Chargers, 2017-2020), just the person he is, the leader he is. Nothing but phenomenal things to say about Gus. I'm very fortunate to have him still in the building and then obviously the rest of the staff that's in place."

Also returning are wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne, offensive quality control - wide receivers Brian Bratton and assistant special teams coach Joe Hastings, as well as head strength and conditioning coach Richard Howell, strength and conditioning assistant Zane Fakes, director of sports performance Rusty Jones, applied sports science/conditioning Doug McKenney and functional movement therapist/conditioning Sam Khym.

The Colts will additionally hire two Tony Dungy Diversity Fellows for the 2023 season, to be announced at a later date.

New to the Colts' coaching staff in 2023 are the following coaches:

Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter

Cooter joins the Colts after spending 2022 as the Jacksonville Jaguars' pass game coordinator, where he had a hand in Trevor Lawrence's breakout sophomore season (4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns/8 interceptions, 95.2 passer rating) as well as a career year from wide receiver Christian Kirk (84 receptions, 1,108 yards, 8 touchdowns). The AFC South champion Jaguars also had the No. 10 scoring offense in the NFL (23.8 points/game).

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Cooter overlapped with Steichen as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. He also has served as the New York Jets' running backs coach (2019-2020), the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator (2016-2018) and the Lions' quarterbacks coach (2014-2015).

Cooter broke into the NFL as an offensive quality control coach with the Colts in 2009, a role he held under head coach Jim Caldwell – and alongside quarterback Peyton Manning – through the 2011 season. Cooter was an offensive quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 before re-uniting with Manning as an offensive assistant for the Denver Broncos in 2013.

"Obviously, Jim Bob has had a lot of success in this league," Steichen said last week at the NFL Combine. "Obviously, he started in the league being around Peyton Manning for awhile, and then he had success with (Matthew) Stafford at Detroit and then this previous year with Lawrence in Jacksonville. So his expertise with the quarterback, the way he sees the game, the preparation he puts into it. I got to spend a year with him in 2021 at Philly and really get to know him as a person, see how he saw the game. That's where we created that relationship, and I have no doubt in my mind that he's gonna do a phenomenal job."

Special teams coordinator Brian Mason

Mason, a Zionsville, Ind. native, comes home after serving as Notre Dame's special teams coordinator in 2022. Under Mason, the Irish blocked a school record seven punts, including a streak of five games with at least one blocked punt. Mason's special teams unit also executed a fake punt that sparked Notre Dame's Gator Bowl win over South Carolina. He was a semifinalist in 2022 for the Broyles Award, which is given annually to college football's top assistant coach.

Mason was the University of Cincinnati's special teams coordinator from 2018-2021. He also spent time as Cincinnati's director of recruiting (2017) and as a graduate assistant at Ohio State (2015-2016), Purdue (2013-2014) and Kent State (2012); he previously was Bluffton's defensive line coach from 2009-2011 and a student assistant at Dennison from 2006-2007. Mason played running back for Dennison from 2005-2006.

Quarterbacks coach Cam Turner

Turner comes to the Colts after five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals spent as co-pass game coordinator/quarterbacks (2022), quarterbacks coach (2021), offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks coach (2020), assistant quarterbacks coach (2019) and offensive assistant (2018). Under Turner, 2019 No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray blossomed into earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, then back-to-back Pro Bowl berths in 2020 and 2021.

Before joining the Cardinals, Turner spent three seasons with the Carolina Panthers as assistant quarterbacks coach (2017) and assistant wide receivers coach (2015-2016). He was Florida International's quarterbacks and wide receivers coach under his father, Ron, from 2013-2014; he also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings (assistant to the head coach, 2011-2012) and The Citadel (wide receivers coach/special teams coordinator, 2010). Turner is the nephew of longtime NFL coach Norv Turner – who hired Steichen to his first NFL job with the San Diego Chargers in 2011 – and the cousin of Las Vegas Raiders passing game coordinator Scott Turner.

Running backs coach DeAndre Smith

With Smith as his running backs coach in 2022, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley set a career high with 1,312 rushing yards; he added 10 touchdowns along with 57 receptions en route to his second career Pro Bowl selection. The Giants ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (148.2) and rushing yards per play (4.8) in 2022.

The Giants were Smith's first NFL coaching gig after an extensive career at the college level. Smith coached running backs at Texas Tech (2019-2021), Utah State (2018), North Carolina (2017), Purdue (2016), Syracuse (2013-2015), New Mexico (2012, 2008), Illinois (2010-2011), UNLV (2009), Miami Ohio (2005-2007) and Northern Illinois (2001-2004). At UNLV, he overlapped with Steichen, who was a graduate assistant for the Runnin' Rebels in 2009.

Smith, a Missouri State alum, began coaching his coaching career as Indiana State's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 1999-2000.

Tight ends coach Tom Manning

Manning, the Colts' tight ends coach in 2018, re-joins the team in the same capacity after spending the last four seasons as Iowa State's offensive coordinator. As the Colts' tight ends coach in 2018, Eric Ebron was selected to the Pro Bowl with career highs in receptions (66), yards (750) and touchdowns (13); Jack Doyle had 26 catches for 245 yards in six games while Mo Alie-Cox caught his first two career touchdowns that year, too.

As Iowa State's offensive coordinator, Manning also held titles as tight ends coach (2020) and running backs coach (2019). He joined the Colts in 2018 after two seasons as the Cyclones' offensive coordinator/offensive line coach (2016-2017). Prior to Iowa State, Manning spent time as an offensive line coach with Toledo (2012-2015) and his alma mater Mount Union (2011).

Offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.

Sparano Jr. joins the Colts after serving as an assistant offensive line coach for each of the last six seasons with the Giants (2022), Carolina Panthers (2021) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-2020). Under Sparano, the Giants' Andrew Thomas developed into one of the NFL's premier left tackles in 2022 – his 89.9 Pro Football Focus pass block grade ranked second among left tackles, while his 90.3 overall grade ranked third.

Sparano was the Buffalo Bills' tight ends coach from 2015-2016, and spent three years with the New York Jets as a seasonal intern (2012), offensive intern (2013) and offensive assistant (2014). He was hired by his father, longtime NFL coach Tony Sparano, as an offensive quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2011.

Assistant offensive line coach Chris Watt

Watt, a 2014 third-round pick of the Chargers – where Steichen was a coach – joins the Colts after spending 2022 as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame. Watt was Tulane's offensive line coach in 2021 and began his coaching career in 2020 as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame.

Prior to coaching, Watt appeared in 17 games (eight starts) for the Chargers from 2014-2015. He was Notre Dame's starting left guard from 2011-2013, where he played under longtime O-line mastermind Harry Hiestand and next to future perennial All-Pro Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Zack Martin, who was Notre Dame's starting left tackle. From 2011-2017, Notre Dame only had one season where Watt or Quenton Nelson was not the team's starting left guard.

Assistant to the head coach TJ Ingels

Ingels joins Steichen's staff after serving as Wisconsin's director of football operations under head coach Paul Chryst. A Wisconsin graduate, Ingels was a student assistant for the Badgers from 2006-2010; he worked with the San Francisco 49ers' equipment staff from 2011-2012 and spent 2013 as an offensive graduate assistant/director of recruiting operations for North Carolina State. He was hired by Chryst as Pittsburgh's director of football operations in 2014.

Our coaching staff is officially set! Be a part of Colts Nation and secure your 2023 Season Tickets today and be sure to join our Single Game Ticket Priority List to get first access to see the schedule + VIP single game ticket presale!