Colts announce 2024 coaching staff

The Colts on Monday announced their 2024 coaching staff, which includes four new hires: Assistant defensive backs coach Justin Hamilton, director of sports performance Mike Minnis, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and passing game coordinator Alex Tanney.

Hamilton is entering his second year as an NFL coach and first with the Colts after spending 2023 as a defensive quality control coach for the Tennessee Titans. Prior to Tennessee, Hamilton was on staff at his alma mater, Virginia Tech (2018-2021), where he began as director of player development (defense) before coaching safeties, then serving as the Hokies' defensive coordinator/safeties for two seasons.

At Virginia Tech, Hamilton helped develop a number of NFL Draft picks, including Titans first-round cornerback Caleb Farley and Las Vegas Raiders safety-turned-linebacker Divine Deablo.

Hamilton got his coaching start at Virginia-Wise, where he was a strength and conditioning coach (2010) and defensive coordinator (2011-2013). He then spent four seasons at Virginia Military Institute, where he coached outside linebackers (2014), outside linebackers/co-special teams (2015-2016) and inside linebackers/co-special teams (2017).

Hamilton played four years of college ball at Virginia Tech (2002-2005), beginning his career as a wide receiver before moving to running back and then defensive back. He totaled 34 receptions for 369 yards and a receiving touchdown, and had 75 carries for 336 yards with three touchdowns as a running back. He intercepted three passes and totaled 35 tackles after moving to defense as a senior.

The Cleveland Browns selected Hamilton in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft, and he appeared in 12 games with the Browns (2006) and Washington (2008) during his pro career.

Hamilton is a native of Clintwood, Va.

Minnis spent the last eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles' sports medicine and performance department, most recently serving as the team's director of performance nutrition/assistant strength and conditioning coach (2021-2023). He was the Eagles' coordinator of performance nutrition/assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2016-2020.

With the Eagles, Minnis planned and managed the day-to-day execution of performance nutrition initiatives while administering body composition analysis and evaluating data to enhance performance and recovery. Minnis also assisted with developing and implementing Philadelphia's strength and conditioning program.

Prior to joining the Eagles, Minnis worked with USC football as the program's director of performance nutrition in 2015. Minnis earned a bachelor's degree in dietetics in 2013 and a master's degree in human nutrition and exercise science in 2015, both from Kansas State. He is a native of Bucklin, Kan.

Partridge brings nearly three decades of coaching experience to the Colts, where he'll join an NFL staff for the first time. He spent the last seven seasons on staff at Pittsburgh, where he served under head coach Pat Narduzzi as defensive line coach (2017) and assistant head coach/defensive line coach (2018-2023).

Partridge was twice named FootballScoop's Defensive Line Coach of the Year (2020, 2022), and Pitt was top five in sacks among FBS programs every year from 2019-2022. At Pitt, Partridge developed several draft picks, including 2023 first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who was named a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 before being selected 19th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prior to his time at Pitt, Partridge spent three years as head coach at Florida Atlantic (2014-2016). Under his watch, defensive end Trey Hendrickson blossomed into an NFL prospect, registering nine sacks in 2014 and 15 in both 2015 and 2016. Hendrickson was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and is a three-time Pro Bowler.

From 2008-2012, Partridge coached Wisconsin's defensive line – where a former two-star recruit who transferred from Central Michigan developed into a superstar. J.J. Watt, with Partridge coaching him in 2009 and 2010, totaled 11 1/2 sacks and 36 1/2 tackles for a loss before being selected 11th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Partridge began his coaching career in 1996 as a graduate assistant at Drake, his alma mater, where he earned an NSCA All-America selection as a defensive linemen. He later spent two years as a graduate assistant at Iowa State (1998-1999) and was the Cyclones' director of football operations from 2000-2001. Partridge then joined Eastern Illinois as defensive line/linebackers coach in 2002; from there, he spent five years at Pitt as defensive ends coach (2003-2005) and defensive line coach/special teams coordinator (2006) and linebackers coach/special teams coordinator (2007).

Partridge also spent 2013 as Arkansas' assistant head coach/defensive line coach. He's a native of Plantation, Fla.

Tanney joins the Colts after spending the last three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he worked with then-offensive coordinator Shane Steichen in 2021 and 2022. Tanney began his coaching career as an offensive quality control coach in 2021, then was elevated to assistant quarterbacks coach/offensive assistant in 2022 and was the Eagles' quarterbacks coach in 2023.

Prior to his coaching career, Tanney was in the NFL from 2012-2020, including a stint on the Colts' practice squad in 2015. Tanney made his NFL debut against the Colts later that season after the Tennessee Titans signed him off the Colts' practice squad, and he completed 10 of 14 passes for 99 yards with a touchdown to wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in a 30-24 Colts win.

Tanney appeared in one game for the New York Giants in 2019, and also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. The Lexington, Ill. native was a record-setting quarterback and won the Melberger Award – given to the nation's top D-III player – at Monmouth College, where he also became known for a trick shot video that has over 4 million views on YouTube.

Tanney's brother, Matt, is the director of athletics and campus wellness at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

The Colts' complete 2024 coaching staff:

*Staff Addition

^Title Change