The week started with the Saturday family at church and relaxing in Georgia. The week ended with Saturday winning his first game as an NFL head coach. We spoke as the Colts’ bus was on the way to the airport in Las Vegas after the 25-20 victory over the Raiders.
A week ago tonight, what were you doing?
Saturday: “I was leaving Monday morning for ESPN, and so I was actually at home … Jim [Irsay] called me and just said, ‘Hey, will you talk to Karen about this? See if you’d be willing to do it?’ He was gonna talk to [GM] Chris Ballard and have the conversation with him. Anyway, I talked to my wife that night.”
What did she think? That it was insane?
Saturday: “She did. Our family motto is, ‘If life isn’t an adventure, it’s not worth living.’ We want an adventure in our life. We teach our kids that. I told her, listen, I’ve been around this game for 25 years, playing, coaching and even more from the media. I’ve never heard of a player having the opportunity to go be a head coach. First of all, I would want it because I love this organization. I care about not only the players and coaches but the organization, right? My adulthood was forged here. It is my home. Indianapolis totally changed the direction of our lives. So how do you say no to this? So I said I’m gonna do it.”
Bill Cowher said this is a disgrace to the coaching profession. When you hear things like that, what do you think?
Saturday: “I respect his opinion, you know? Here’s the thing. God is my defender, man. I don’t have to defend myself. I am absolutely comfortable in who I am. I respect all those guys. Whoever has whatever negative opinion, I can assure you, it’s not gonna change who I am or what I believe I’m called to do. I have no idea, and I still don’t, how successful I’ll be, but we’re gonna work hard at it and I believe I can lead men and lead the staff. I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Joe Thomas said of the hire: ‘When you hire your drinking buddy to be the head coach of an NFL team, it’s disrespectful.’ Thoughts?
Saturday: “I had no idea that he said that. I can assure you, I have never gone drinking with Jim. I don’t even know that Jim drinks. I don’t drink very much either. I don’t know Joe. I’m not worried about what Joe thinks about me or anybody else. Like I told you, the Lord will defend. I feel like I’ve been called to do it, so I made the decision to do it. Again, no disrespect to either of those men. They are who they are and said what they said. It will not sway me.”
Do you think we should think of the coaching profession differently?
Saturday: “Yes. Part of the reason why I did accept the job is for that exact reason. I hope that many other former players will get opportunities like I’m getting. I was at ESPN when Aaron Boone was there and then two days later he’s the manager of the Yankees. And basketball right? I’ve watched all these guys get these opportunities. Like I told the team, my leadership is the number one quality. I’ve talked to Tony Dungy, I’ve talked to Jim Caldwell. Those were the two men who led me the most. Both told me to drive into who I was as a player, as a leader of men during those times. Lean on those things that you’re extremely good at. And that’s uniting people. I told the staff and I told the players, my job is to empower them to be the best they can be.
I don’t pretend to be the smartest coach on the staff. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. I know football. I’m passionate about football. I study the game. But I will trust the men and empower those men to do the things that they know that they’re called to do. And that’s the job man. That’s the job in my opinion. To this point, that’s been what I have been. I would never minimize how important all of the coaches on the staff are. How hard these guys work, man. The hours they put in and the ideas that they bring.”
Any given Saturday. pic.twitter.com/W9Y3uhXWSW
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 14, 2022
What was it like, going from sitting at home in Georgia one Sunday to coaching on the sidelines the next Sunday in the NFL?
Saturday: “Oh, it was awesome. I enjoyed it. I looked up and laughed a lot. Talked to coaches during breaks. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the moment. But you know what’s crazy? From a player perspective, games don’t feel nearly that fast. Like I literally remember looking up, going, oh my, the game’s already halfway over. Then I blink and the third quarter’s over. I’m like, I think it was two drives. Wow! From a player’s perspective when you’re in it physically, the time of it feels so different. Coaching, I blinked and it was like, we’re in the fourth quarter and it’s time to go. It was awesome man.”
Read more in Peter King’s full Football Morning in America column
