Jim Caldwell endured everything thrown at him during his first two seasons as the Indianapolis Colts’ coach — replacing a friend, rebounding from losses and fighting through injuries. Not having Peyton Manning around in 2011 was just too much.
Caldwell was fired this month after the Colts’ worst season in two decades. Manning recently stated he is not pleased with the move.
“I was stunned, I was surprised, I was saddened and just disappointed that it all happened this way,” Manning said. “He was a friend and we had a great ride with tremendous highs and it makes me very sad that this ends on such a negative note.”
Caldwell ends his Colts’ tenure 26-22 overall with one AFC title, two division crowns and one bleak season that has left him unemployed just three years after replacing close friend Tony Dungy, the first black coach to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Caldwell won his first 14 games, an NFL record for a rookie head coach and became only the fifth first-year coach to take his team to the Super Bowl.
Now the Colts are left to rebuild, starting with the number one draft pick; which figures to be former Stanford Cardinal Andrew Luck. Team owner Jim Irsay states the move to fire Caldwell had to be made.
“This is obviously a big transitional time for us, but I know we’re excited moving forward and it’s hard when you say goodbyes to some people,” Irsay said. “But it’s part of the business.
“This was a difficult decision. I wanted to make sure we took all the time we needed to make sure it was the right decision. It’s a big change for the franchise and at the same time, there’s players, coaches, many people on the staff that will go into the new day and get on with the work of 2012.”
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