Andrew Luck had a fantastic rookie season for the Indianapolis Colts after coming out of Stanford under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
On Thursday though, Arians was named the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, taking over from Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired following a 5-11 season. The move leaves the Colts without and offensive leader, but it also opens up an opportunity for the Colts to get even better.
According to ESPN.com, Pep Hamilton, who has the official title at Stanford of "Andrew Luck Director of Offense," is a leading candidate to join the Colts as offensive coordinator, says Chris Mortensen.
Hamilton tops the list of candidates to take over the job for Arians, who led the team to a 9-3 record in 2012 while coaching in place of Chuck Pagano, who was undergoing treatment for leukemia. According to Mortensen, Hamilton will interview for the job on Friday possibly.
In the past, Hamilton has worked as an assistant in the NFL before going to Stanford as the wide receivers coach in 2010. During the 2011 season, he ran the offense with Luck and led Stanford to a successful season and a school record by averaging 43.15 points per game.
Luck was the No. 1 pick in the draft in 2012 for the Colts and once he left, an anonymous donor endowed the school's offensive coordinator position with a stipulation that it be renamed the "Andrew Luck Director of Offense." Hamilton holds that distinction now and possibly will do it again if he moves to the Colts.
In 2012, Hamilton was successful without Luck, as Stanford went 12-2 and won the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin while scoring nearly 30 points per game. The team also gained nearly 400 totally yards per game.
ESPN reports that Hamilton New York Jets' offensive coordinator vacancy and previously worked for the team as an assistant in 2003. He also coached quarterbacks for the Chicago Bears from 2006-2009 before joining the Stanford staff.
Luck had a fantastic season as a rookie, setting a record with 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns. He won the most games ever for a first overall pick in his first season and completed 54 percent of his passes with 18 interceptions. He led the team to a number of fourth quarter and overtime comebacks, including against the Green Bay Packers.
Indianapolis was ranked 18th in the league with 22 points per game and gained 258 yards through the air, ranked seventh in the NFL. The team was ranked 22nd in rushing and will need to improve on the ground to be successful in the AFC South.
The team got off to a rocky start, losing three of the first five games, but rebounded with a four game winning streak, including a 19-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Colts lost the following week to New England 59-24, but closed out the year with five wins in six games, including a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans.
Indianapolis had a completely reshaped roster from the 2011 season, but was able to combined young players and experienced veterans to create a consistent squad. General manager Ryan Grigson drafted players like Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener and T.Y. Hilton to help Luck, who he opted to draft over Robert Griffin III.
Before the draft, many felt Griffin was more of a dynamic player, but Luck was seen as a sure thing. The team decided to take Luck, while Griffin ended his season by getting serious knee surgery. The choice reminded many of the pick the Colts had between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in 1998, when both were highly-regarded prospects.
Leaf washed out of the league after throwing for just 3,666 yards passing with 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions and is considered to be the biggest bust in NFL history, while Manning is considered one of the best quarterbacks ever. Manning has won a Super Bowl and four MVP awards, while the Chargers went just 5-11 in Leaf's first season. Leaf is in jail on drug charges, making the "bust" moniker even more legitimate.
Coach Chuck Pagano spoke about Arians' move to the Cardinals:
"We are excited for Bruce, Chris and his entire family. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I know he will do a great job. Arizona hired a great coach but a better man. What he did in my absence was truly remarkable. I am forever in debt to Bruce. He is and always will be a great friend, and I wish him nothing but the best as he begins this new chapter in his life," he said to ESPN.com.
The Colts had the biggest turnaround in the NFL after going 2-14 in 2011 after making the playoffs as a Wild Card in 2012. The team lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, but has a core foundation to build on in the 2013 season.
