Like most head coaches in the NFL, Jonathan Gannon had a winding path to where he is now although it didn’t take a long time. It included three seasons coaching defensive backs in Indianapolis, where the Arizona Cardinals have two joint practices against the Colts prior to Saturday’s preseason game.
The 41-year-old Gannon began his NFL coaching journey as a defensive quality control coach with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, but found himself without a job after the Bobby Petrino disaster that season.
He landed as a college scout with the St. Louis Rams in 2009 before being a pro scout in 2010 and 2011. The Rams changed head coaches and general managers after the 2011 season, and Gannon was looking for work again.
What followed were two seasons as a defensive quality control coach with the Tennessee Titans, four with the Minnesota Vikings as assistant defensive backs coach and then the three-season stint with the Colts (2018-2020) as defensive backs coach before becoming the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator in 2021.
Back in Indianapolis Wednesday, Gannon reflected on his years with the Colts where Frank Reich was the head coach and current Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator.
“Awesome. Awesome,” Gannon said. “It was really my first main position job and had good really good players, was around a lot of good coaches. City’s awesome. (Owner) Mr. (Jim) Irsay and his whole family took really good care of my family. And it was just a really cool experience. (General manager) Chris Ballard is as good as they come. It’s good to see everybody right now.”
Most important is what he learned there.
“A lot, a lot,” Gannon said. “I was just talking to the staff today (about) different ways of doing things. That was all new to me at the time and it really opened my mind under Coach Eberflus. Different style and took a lot with me honestly. You learn from everybody as you go, but really expanded my mind.”
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