The Colts continue to round out their coaching staff under head coach Shane Steichen.
Indianapolis is finalizing a deal to make Jim Bob Cooter its next offensive coordinator, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday.
The hiring serves as a reunion between the Colts and Cooter, who started his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant with Indy from 2009-2011. After working with Peyton Manning, Cooter spent one-year stints on the staffs of Kansas City and Denver before joining the Detroit Lions in 2014.
It was in Detroit where Cooter received his first shot at coordinating an offense. The Lions’ quarterbacks coach in 2014 and the first half of 2015, Cooter was bumped up to interim offensive coordinator after the club fired Joe Lombardi in the midst of a 1-6 start.
Cooter proved a perfect complement to Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and held onto the job for three years beyond his interim season. Stafford threw for 12,550 yards, 74 touchdowns and 31 interceptions with a 94.2 passer rating in three full seasons working with Cooter.
However, the coordinator was let go thanks to a 2018 campaign that saw Detroit’s flagging offense fall to 24th in yards and 25th in points.
After spending two years as the Jets running backs coach, a year consulting for the Eagles and the 2022 season as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator, Cooter now returns to where his NFL career began.
He’d benefit from tapping back into his quarterback-whispering ways — the Colts are all but assured to begin next season with a new Week 1 starter for a sixth consecutive year.
