Coach Chuck Pagano was fired Sunday afternoon shortly after he led the Indianapolis Colts to a 22-13 victory over the Houston Texans in the season finale for both teams, the Colts announced.
"We have parted ways with Head Coach Chuck Pagano," the team said on Twitter.
The victory ended the longest losing streak of Pagano's six seasons, but the Colts finished 4-12 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. It is the team's longest postseason drought since a seven-season absence from 1988-94.
Pagano had two years left on his contract.
Pagano finished with a 56-46 overall record (including the postseason) after joining the team in 2012. From 2012-14, he led the team to three consecutive 11-5 seasons and playoff appearances, including a trip to the AFC Championship at the end of the 2014 campaign.
With star quarterback Andrew Luck missing the entire 2017 season, the Colts wound up with their first losing season since 2011, their second since 2002, and the first under Pagano.
“Chuck Pagano provided Colts fans with many exciting wins and memories as head coach of the Colts,” Colts Owner & CEO Jim Irsay said in written comments. “Throughout his tenure in Indianapolis, he impacted the lives of the players he coached, those who he worked with in the organization and Colts fans across the globe.
"Chuck’s first season was one of the more inspirational stories in NFL history as he courageously battled and overcame leukemia. As a result, his ChuckStrong Foundation has raised millions for cancer research. We are thankful for Chuck’s contributions to our franchise and community and we wish him, Tina and the entire Pagano family nothing but the best moving forward.”
This story will be updated.
