Eight hours after being announced as the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels got cold feet.

Eight hours after being announced as the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Josh McDaniels got cold feet.

According to ESPN, the Patriots offensive coordinator has decided to not accept the Colts head-coaching job and will instead remain in Foxboro. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Patriots owner Robert Kraft stepped in and sweetened McDaniels’ contact. Kraft reportedly began talking with the offensive single caller over the past 48 hours in an effort to get him to remain in New England.

The news is truly shocking.

Around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the Colts announced that McDaniels has agreed to terms as the team’s new head coach. The team’s website published multiple stories, including a “get to know Josh McDaniels” post. Around 2 p.m., the team’s twitter account posted a photo of a Colts’ visor with the captain “it’s visor season” since McDaniels is known to wear visors on the sideline. At 4:36 p.m., the Colts tweeted out that McDaniels’ introductory press conference would happen on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and it was set to live stream on all Colts properties including their website, Twitter and Facebook.

Three hours later, it was reported that McDaniels would instead remain with the Patriots.

This is good news for the Patriots, who already lost defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Detroit Lions. The news is so shocking though, it’s safe to wonder that if McDaniels sees himself as a future head coach of the Patriots. With Kraft getting involved, it would make since. Considering that McDaniels left the Colts at the altar, this seems like this move that could hurt his future chances at another head-coaching gig — of course unless it’s in New England.

It’ll also be interesting to see what happens with several other Patriots assistants. On early Tuesday, it was reported by ESPN that McDaniels was taking Patriots assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski with him to Indy. It was also reported that the Pats could also lose special teams coach Joe Judge to Indy. Both Schuplinski and Judge’s contracts have expired.

McDaniels joined the Patriots in 2001 as a personnel assistant and rose through the ranks before officially becoming the offensive coordinator in 2006. In 2009, he left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. McDaniels didn’t last two full seasons and was fired in 2010 after compiling an 11-17 record.

McDaniels rejoined the Patriots late in the 2011 season and became the offensive coordinator once again in 2012. Under the 41-year-old coach, Tom Brady and the Patriots offense has thrived. Overall, McDaniels was a part of the coaching staff during all five Patriot Super Bowl championships.

It looks like he’s coming back looking for a sixth.

— Mark Daniels writes for the Providence Journal of GateHouse Media.