Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star reports Monday morning that Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with a “serious” illness and that he will likely miss several games as a result of it. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, Pagano has been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia.
The paper reports that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will take over as the team’s head coach in the meantime. The Steelers former offensive coordinator did not have his contract renewed this past offseason as the Steelers chose to hire Todd Haley instead.
Arians was hired to help groom first round draft pick Andrew Luck, a role he is familiar with after serving as the first NFL quarterback coach for Peyton Manning when he entered the league as a rookie.
The Colts offense is averaging 357 yards a game, which ranks them 16th overall in the league, and curiously one spot ahead of the Steelers through three games. In addition, the Colts offense is averaging 266.7 yards per game passing, which ranks them 11th overall in the league.
The Colts, like the Steelers, were on a bye this week and they will host the Green Bay Packers in Arians\’ first game ever as a head coach.
