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Chuck Pagano Starts Third Year With Colts Today

Chuck Pagano’s second anniversary as Colts head coach was yesterday and when he directs Team Sanders in the Pro Bowl today, he is starting his third year at the Indianapolis helm. Pagano has concluded two successful seasons and to hear it from his players, they think he is the all-star.

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INDIANAPOLIS – When Chuck Pagano leads Teams Sanders onto the field at the Pro Bowl today in Honolulu, it will mark the first day of his third year at the Colts' helm.

Consecutive 11-5 records and playoff berths highlight Pagano's achievements, but the culture he has established has gone far beyond the numbers.

The feeling he instills inside is a major factor in a winning heritage continuing with a new leader.

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"It wasn't about the previous record (2-14) before Chuck (Pagano) came over here," said Cory Redding, "it's knowing that he was the head coach is the reason I came here, hands down, no ands ifs or buts about it."

Redding followed Pagano to Indianapolis after two years under him in Baltimore.  He had seen Pagano in a position coach role in 2010, then as coordinator.

Redding said the bond grew tighter as Pagano's status elevated, thus he knew the man patrolling the sidelines with the Colts still would be a perfect match.

"Coming here knowing the situation and the kind of team before he got over here didn't even matter because Chuck was in this position," said Redding.  "I knew that whatever he was going to do was going to be great.  Our relationship is just tight like that.  (I) came here and went on this journey (with him)."

Redding has been along as Pagano became just the eighth coach in history to have consecutive 11-win seasons to open a career. 

NFL Coaches Starting Career with 11-Plus Wins in Consecutive Seasons

Name

Team

First Year

Second Year

Team Record Before Hired

Chuck Pagano

Colts

2012, 11-5

2013, 11-5

2011, 2-14

Jim Harbaugh

S. Fran.

2011, 13-3

2012, 11-4-1

2010, 6-10

Dave Wannstedt

Miami

2000, 11-5

2001, 11-5

1999, 9-7*

Steve Mariucci

S. Fran.

1997, 13-3

1998, 12-4

1996, 12-4*

Barry Switzer

Dallas

1994, 12-4

1995, 12-4

1993, 12-4#

George Seifert

S. Fran.

1989, 14-2

1990, 14-2

1988, 10-6#

Roy Andrews

NY Giants

1929, 13-1-1

1930, 13-4

1928, 4-7-2

Guy Chamberlain

Frankfort

1925, 13-7

1926, 14-1-2

1924, 11-2-1

*Made Playoffs   #Won Super Bowl          

He saw Pagano have a winning path that equates among the franchise's top coaches, and the 22 wins Indianapolis earned under his command in a career-opening two-year span tie for the seventh-most in NFL history. 

MOST WINS IN FIRST TWO CAREER SEASONS

No.

Name, Team

Years

28

George Seifert, S. Francisco

1989-90

25

Steve Mariucci, S. Francisco

1997-98

24

Barry Switzer, Dallas

1994-95

24

Mike Martz, St. Louis

2000-01

24

Jim Caldwell, Colts

2009-10

24

Jim Harbaugh, S. Francisco

2011-12

22

Allie Sherman, N.Y. Giants

1961-62

22

Chuck Knox, L.A. Rams

1973-74

22

Red Miller, Denver

1977-78

22

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh

2007-08

22

Chuck Pagano, Colts

2012-13

Numbers are numbers and wins are wondrous, but it is what Pagano contributes that is telling.

"The poise, it's contagious," said Robert Mathis, who stayed in Indianapolis under Pagano.  "It comes from him and it just flows throughout the team that nothing is ever done until it's done.

"Keep playing and just don't know any better besides playing until the last snap.  It's a 60-minute ballgame, just go and keep going."

FASTEST STARTS AMONG COLTS COACHES

Coaches

McCafferty*

Marchibroda*

Shula

Dungy*

Caldwell*

Pagano*

1st Year

11-2-1

10-4

8-6

10-6

14-2

11-5

20 games

15-4-1

15-5

13-7

14-6

16-4

14-6

25 games

19-5-1

19-6

18-7

17-8

20-5

17-8

30 games

21-8-1

23-7

21-9

21-9

22-8

20-10

32 games

22-9-1

25-7

23-9

22-10

24-8

22-10

*Denotes 10-plus wins/playoff berths in consecutive seasons to start career

Pagano has his players toiling for each other.  One team approach is there will be enough credit for everyone when good things happen. 

Pagano wants his players to refrain from judging predicaments when they occur and play each play at full speed and with complete commitment because key plays turn games.

"Chuck set the foundation – believing in one another, not judging, pointing fingers," said Redding.  "(There's no) saying, 'You ain't doing this, you ain't doing that.'  It's, 'It's my mistake fellas, I let y'all down.  I'm going to get y'all back the next play.'

"It's the sense of family.  We lay our lives on the line for each other every day.  When you have a group of men who do that on a daily basis, a tightness and bond develops, and there's nothing that can break that."

The longest-tenured Colt, Reggie Wayne, re-upped with Indianapolis when Pagano came.  Wayne had known Pagano from collegiate days and wanted to be part of the process.

Antoine Bethea, like Wayne, played under successful coaches in Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell and feels the program built by Pagano and Ryan Grigson is special.

"I think it pays dividends just having him in the building, laughing and joking on the field, just leading this team and being our leader," said Bethea.

Grigson went out of his way last week to praise Pagano for his efforts over the two years they have led the charge.

"Our head coach, who in less than a year, took on the task after beating cancer and got a team to 12 wins in less than a year from defeating an illness the likes of cancer (is amazing)," said Grigson.  "His leadership, the foundation he's laid is one that's been made of stone, and it's been a rock through the storms we've had to take on the last two years.  It's a credit to him."

Indianapolis has roared from behind to win under its leader 10 times in fourth quarter or overtime.  The most recent comeback from a 28-point deficit against Kansas City was the second-largest in NFL playoff history.

Coaches join players in enjoying the process under their leader.

"It's great.  He holds everybody accountable," said Pep Hamilton.  "He has his own style of leadership.  Accountability is at the top of the to-do list.  

"Know your job and do your job, and he expects you to.  We take a lot of pride in the (Horseshoe) and making sure that we support our head coach, the leader of our locker room."

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