Indianapolis Colts GM Ryan Grigson backs OC Bruce Arians perform into Chuck Pagano’s role effectively
The Indianapolis Colts are hopeful offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who has formally assumed coaching duties a day after Chuck Pagano’s leukaemia illness was disclosed by owner Jim Irsay at a media call, will be able to perform into the head coach’s role
effectively.
Bruce himself has refused labelling it as a head coaching job and said it is just an expanded role for him as an OC, but general manager Ryan Grigson has backed the new coach to fulfil the new responsibility.
Grigson said:
"He's a veteran. He knows this game well. He has a great synergy with the staff and with Chuck. He's going to be able to bridge that gap between Chuck and himself and this team because they have a brotherhood on that staff like I've never seen. Chuck's our
brother, and we are all here for him. Bruce is the man to lead us forward while our leader is down."
Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has also boasted experience of Arians, saying he has seen so much in world of football that handling the coaching affair will not be difficult for him.
He believes:
"He's seen everything in the world of football. I'm sure he'll do a great job and manage to keep his (finger on the) pulse of everything the offense is doing."
Pagano was diagnosed with leukaemia a couple of days earlier. He had felt the symptoms i.e. extreme fatigue and rashes a week earlier but got himself inspected this week to hear the shocking news which has jolted the entire Colts’ organisation.
Arians while accompanying Irsay at the media conference to break the news was almost in tears, probably not thinking about the new opportunity at all by then.
Irsay said that Pagano will be hospitalised for about six to eight weeks before returning home to carry on the recovery process, but he ruled him out of contentions to resume his head coaching duties this year.
This leaves the team under reign of Arians, who like Chuck, is into first year with them. He came out of his so called retirement from the Pittsburgh Steelers to join the Colts earlier this year.
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