During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, new head coach Shane Steichen was asked about his interview process with the Indianapolis Colts.
Steichen revealed that he spent many hours with the team and shared the four pillars he wants to build the team’s culture around.
- Character
- Preparation
- Consistency
- Relentlessness
What will these pillars look like when applied to the Colts? The answers are threaded into Steichen’s history.
Here’s what Steichen’s four coaching pillars will mean for the Colts:
Pillar No. 1: Character
“Character is very important to me. We want to treat people with respect, and we want to feed the positive and weed out the negative.”
Shane Steichen began his introductory comments by thanking people he had immense gratitude for and those who profoundly impacted him. Additionally, in a moment that could have rightfully been about him, he made it about others, a glimpse into the selfless qualities woven into his character.
Steichen’s actions also matched his first pillar character. He gave a simple yet powerful description of what it will mean. This also is nothing new considering the way the Colts have put an emphasis on high character players.
For anyone who missed it here is Shane Steichen's introductory thank you's before the #Colts opened it up to questions.
I highly recommend watching and getting to know the type of man that will be leading this football team.
Spoiler alert you're going to be a fan by the end! pic.twitter.com/1irbbZddrP
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) February 15, 2023
Pillar No. 2: Preparation
“No. 2 is the preparation. I truly believe this. The separation in this league is in the preparation; how we prepare as a football team and an organization Monday through Saturday will ultimately dictate the outcome of the football game. Now, is it going to guarantee us a victory? No. But it’s going to give us a fighting chance, I promise you that.”
In September 2020, during a Chargers’ training camp practice, Steichen uttered the same words when explaining how his team would separate itself. In another instance, during a December 2022 media session, he spoke about the preparation that goes into game planning, the importance of hearing the same message simultaneously, and how communication breeds success.
Pillar No. 3: Consistency
“No. 3 is consistency. We have to be consistent, and it starts with us as coaches. Being consistent with our message to the players and telling them exactly how we want it to look and how we want it to be done.”
For this third pillar, consistency, Steichen mentioned that coaches would be consistent with players in how they want things to look and be done. The most prominent example of Steichen’s ability to bring that to the Colts has been the production of his former teams.
Since Steichen’s first days as offensive coordinator in 2019, his units have averaged 359 yards of offense or more, 21-plus points per game, and have not ranked lower than 14th in the league. During his time with the Eagles, the team also had back-to-back playoff runs, including an appearance in this year’s Super Bowl.
Pillar No. 4: Relentless
“No. 4 is relentless. We have to be relentless in our pursuit to be the best. The best players, the best coaches I’ve been around are obsessed with their craft and that’s what we want to build here and that’s what we want to get done.”
Shane Steichen’s explanation of his fourth pillar was slightly different than the team has heard in recent years. Those in the room could almost feel the weight of the word attached to the phrase “obsessed with their craft.”
Steichen’s relentless spirit was evident when the Eagles played the Colts during Week 11 of the 2022 season. The Eagles never wavered despite trailing in an atypical fashion most of the game. They continued to persevere, a testament to the “mental DNA” Steichen has and admires in others.
JALEN HURTS. @Eagles take their first lead of the game!
📺: #PHIvsIND on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/CMzpA9q8ut pic.twitter.com/ksMCO7FIKQ— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2022
