2011 Colts Media Guide - Nfl

2 0 1 1 I N D I A N A P O L I S C O L T S
C O L T S
C O A C H E S
JIM CALDWELL
HEAD COACH
Jim Caldwell enters his third season as head coach of the Colts.
Caldwell served with Indianapolis for seven years before taking over as
field general in 2009. Caldwell spent his first three seasons as quarterbacks
coach before earning the expanded title of assistant head coach
prior to the 2005 season. He was elevated to associate head coach with
the club on January 21, 2008.
In his first two seasons at the helm, Caldwell has directed the Colts to
14-2 and 10-6 regular-season records, winning consecutive AFC South
titles, an AFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XLIV. Caldwell
is one of approximately 30 NFL head coaches ever to produce 24+ regular-season
victories and a Super Bowl berth in any two-year career
span, while being one of four field leaders to do it in opening a career.
From 2002-10, Caldwell has been a part of Colts teams that lead the league in victories. From 2003-09,
Indianapolis set NFL marks with seven consecutive seasons with 11+ (6, Dallas, 1976-81) and 12+ victories
(4, Dallas, 1992-95). From 2002-10, Indianapolis has nine consecutive 10+-victory seasons, the NFL's
second-longest streak (16, San Francisco, 1983-98). The Colts have an NFL record-tying nine consecutive
playoff appearances (Dallas, 1975-83), and Indianapolis is the only team to post double-digit victory seasons
and playoff berths each season since the 2002 Realignment. From 2008-09, Indianapolis set the NFL
record with 23 consecutive regular-season victories (21 New England, 2006-08). Indianapolis also won
115 regular-season games from 2000-09, the most by a team in a decade in NFL history. From 2004-09,
Indianapolis became the only NFL team to win at least seven consecutive games in six consecutive seasons
(8, 2004; 13, 2005; 9, 2006; 7 and 6, 2007; 9, 2008; 14, 2009). The Colts won six division crowns
in the 2000-09 decade, two short of the NFL record set by Minnesota (8) in the 1970s. The club's nine
playoff berths in the decade tied the NFL record set by Dallas (9) in the 1970s. Indianapolis' winning ways
include a 42-12 record in AFC South play, and the club has owned or shared the lead in 123 of 153 weeks
of the division's existence.
In 2010, Caldwell helped produce the franchise's 20th 10+-victory season, and he is one of six Colts
head coaches to earn double-digit victory totals (7, Tony Dungy; 4, Don Shula; 3, Ted Marchibroda; 2, Don
McCafferty; 2, Jim Mora; 2, Caldwell). Caldwell joined McCafferty (1970-71), Marchibroda (1975-76)
and Dungy (2002-03) as the only Colts head coaches to earn double-digit victory totals and playoff berths
in the first two years with the club. In 2009, Caldwell became the only Colts head coach to win his first 14
games. Caldwell became the second rookie head coach since the 1978 NFL move to a 16-game season
to win 14 games (George Seifert, San Francisco, 1989). The 14-0 start marked the third in league history
(16-0, New England, 2007; 14-0, Miami, 1972). The 13-0 start was the second for the club in the past six
seasons (13-0, 2005). Caldwell was the only NFL rookie head coach to win his first 14 games in a season,
surpassing Potsy Clark (8, Portsmouth, 1931), and he surpassed Wally Lemm (10, 1961 Houston Oilers-
1962 St. Louis Cardinals) for the most consecutive wins to start a career. Caldwell became the fifth rookie
head coach to reach the Super Bowl (McCafferty, Colts, 1970; Red Miller, Denver, 1977; Seifert, San
Francisco, 1989; Bill Callahan, Oakland, 2002). Caldwell joined Chuck Knox (L.A. Rams, 1973), Miller
(Denver, 1977), Mike Martz (St. Louis, 2000) and Josh McDaniels (Denver, 2009) as the only rookie head
coaches in the Super Bowl era to start 6-0. He became the fourth coach ever to start 6-0 when succeeding
a head coach who won 100+ games (Blanton Collier, Cleveland, 1963, succeeded Paul Brown, 111 wins;
Jack Pardee, Washington, 1978, succeeded George Allen, 116 wins; McDaniels, Denver, 2009, succeeded
Mike Shanahan, 146 wins; Caldwell, Colts, 2009, succeeded Tony Dungy, 139 wins).
Caldwell's leadership has helped the Colts annually have one of the NFL's most prolific offenses.
Indianapolis ranked 1st in NFL passing in 2010. The Colts have ranked in the top four in NFL scoring
offense in nine of the past 12 years. The club has ranked in the top three in AFC passing offense and top
8