Many in the sports media landscape spent portions of last week discussing ESPN NFL analyst Jeff Saturday being hired as the interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL Today analyst Bill Cowher joined that group Sunday with an impassioned speech denouncing the move.
“I’m speaking on behalf of the coaching profession,” Cowher said. “I know for a fact Jeff Saturday was offered a position as an assistant coach with the Indianapolis Colts multiple times in the last four years. He declined, citing he had a TV job and wanted to spend more time with his family. I get it. Coaching is about commitment and it’s about sacrifice. It’s not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”
The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach continued by calling the situation “a disgrace” and “a travesty”.
“Jeff Saturday talked about how — in his press conference — he’s going to use this second half as an opportunity to build his resume and see whether or not he can coach in the future,” Cowher continued. “I say to that: what about the assistants on the staff right now? The guys that were there in training camp. The guys that were there early in the morning and late at night, the guys that have gone through the first six weeks in that building. Guys like Gus Bradley, Scottie Montgomery, John Fox. Don’t they deserve the opportunity?
“For an owner to hire a coach who has never been an assistant at the college level or the pro level, and overseeing — very much — a lot of candidates that are qualified for that job — as we see in Steve Wilks — an opportunity to build a resume, it’s a disgrace to the coaching profession. And regardless of this thing plays out, what happened in Indianapolis is a travesty.”
“It’s something that hits close to home, and I felt an obligation to speak on behalf of the coaching profession,” Cowher told The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch. “I felt I needed to make a statement.”
“The bottom line is, I’m the one coach that’s up here. I spent five years as a player, seven years as an assistant coach, and 15 years as a head coach. I have great respect for the coaching profession and understand all the things that go on when people lose their jobs. It’s never easy, but it’s part of a profession we get into. But there’s certain ways of doing certain things and commitments that people make that when things are not done properly, it needs to be pointed out.”
