Colts Hire John Fox As Assistant

John Fox is back in the NFL. The Colts confirmed today that they have added the veteran coach to their staff, under the title of senior defensive assistant. 

The 67-year-old’s coaching career began in 1978, immediately following his brief NFL playing tenure. His first professional role came in 1989 with the Steelers, leading to his first defensive coordinator with the Raiders five years later. He was also the DC of the Giants for five seasons before he got his first head coaching opportunity.

Fox was hired by the Panthers in 2002 to take over as the team’s HC. His second season saw a dramatic turnaround from the previous regime’s performances, as Carolina went to the Super Bowl. Fox remained in Charlotte until 2010, when he took over the Broncos. That stint included another Super Bowl appearance, although he found himself on the losing end of the game again despite the team’s historic offensive output that season.

That track record of consistency and success was altered by his tenure in Chicago. Fox oversaw the beginning of Mitch Trubisky’s time as the Bears’ starting quarterback, but it wasn’t enough to avoid finishing his final campaign in the Windy City with a third straight losing record. He was fired at the end of the 2017 season, and had been out of the league ever since.

It was reported in the 2018 offseason that Fox intended to continue coaching, and that he was willing to wait for the right fit. While the Colts gig isn’t the HC or DC jobs he’s held before, he should add an experienced voice to the staff of a unit which finished ninth in scoring defense in 2021.