8:31pm: Philbin won’t be regressing from head coach to position coach entirely. Part of the Colts’ offer includes the title of assistant head coach, which may have been the reason the former Dolphins boss chose Indianapolis over the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
4:52pm: Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has found a new home, and despite the rumors and speculation this week, he didn’t land in New York. The Colts announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Philbin as their offensive line coach.
[RELATED: Colts hire Rob Chudzinski as permanent offensive coordinator]
As recently as Thursday, following the hiring of Ben McAdoo as the Giants’ new head coach, multiple reports indicated that Philbin would likely land on McAdoo’s staff, possibly in the role of assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. However, it seems Philbin – and the Giants – are going in another direction. Mike Garafolo FOX Sports tweets that Philbin strongly considered the Giants before opting for the Colts.
Philbin, who was hired by the Dolphins as their head coach in 2012, led the team to a 24-28 record up until he was fired earlier this season. His tenure in Miami didn’t result in any postseason trips, but he enjoyed success in Green Bay before heading south, serving as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that, Philbin coached the team’s offensive line.
In Indianapolis, Philbin will be tasked with coaching an offensive line that may need to be upgraded this winter. Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort look like a solid pairing on the left side, and Joe Reitz played reasonably well this year, but the Colts will want the group of players responsible for keeping Andrew Luck upright and healthy in 2016 to be more than just passable.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Isn’t Philbin known for his work in Green Bay with quarterbacks? Seems like a change of scenery. Unless I have him mixed up with someone else, but I don’t think I do.
The colts should sign richie incognito and jonathan martin now